Orissa:Churches open health stalls, as Cholera kills at least 119 people

Churches open health stalls as health officials in Orissa confirmed at least 119 dead due to the Cholera outbreak since August, this year.

Majority of the sick are believed to be the poor and tribal people who got affected either drinking polluted water or eating spoilt meat.

Aid agencies in the state deny the estimate of death toll confirmed by the health officials. They say, “It is more than double that figure.”

"This is an outbreak and not an epidemic," said Usha Patnaik, the director of health services in Bhubaneswar. Authorities said the outbreak was slowly coming under control.

ActionAid, an international aid agency working in the area said, at least 250 people have died from the disease and the Government claims are false.

The disease does not easily respond to antibiotics and hence it causes the victim to expel massive amounts of water from their bodies through diarrhea and vomiting. “If precautionary actions are not taken, the victim can die within days,” mentioned a health official.

Major Christian organizations in India organized meetings and special masses to pray and to gather funds for the victims. Many of them have also opened counseling centers to provide help and relief to the affected