Diarrhea Outbreak Claims Six Lives in Rourkela, Odisha: Urgent Measures Implemented to Tackle Crisis
Bhubaneswar: The steel city of Rourkela in Odisha has witnessed the death toll from diarrhea rise to six, with the recent demise of another patient on Monday. Earlier, five individuals from various wards of the smart city had succumbed to this water-borne disease.
Dr. Niranjan Mishra, Director of Public Health, Odisha, revealed that the current situation is alarming, with 555 people undergoing treatment in different hospitals in Rourkela and nearby areas. Among them, 20 individuals are in critical condition. Rourkela General Hospital and Ispat General Hospital are currently accommodating 163 patients, while those requiring intensive care have been transferred to Hi-Tech Hospital.
A team of medical experts from Bhubaneswar conducted a field visit to Rourkela and surrounding regions, identifying unhygienic water as the primary cause of the disease’s rapid spread. Dr. Mishra emphasized, “We have directed WATCO to increase the level of chlorine in the water being supplied to different areas of Rourkela Smart City.”
To address the escalating crisis, six mobile medical units are actively operating in the area, aiming to identify new patients, provide essential medicines, and raise awareness about diarrhea prevention. Additional medical personnel have been deployed to manage the situation, and the bed capacity in various hospitals has been expanded to accommodate the growing number of patients.
Rourkela MLA Sarada Nayak and Sundargarh Collector Harshad Parag visited different hospitals in the city to assess the situation firsthand. Their presence underscores the seriousness of the situation, prompting a concerted effort from local authorities to curb the outbreak and provide necessary support to those affected.
