Orissa Govt. fails to control cholera deaths

Sep 03: The situation in Orissa remains harsh with rising death toll of people due to cholera epidemic for the last month especially in the tribal dominated Rayagada and Koraput district. On official records the death toll is 178 so far till Sunday evening but unofficial records speak a different story. Though the first report came somewhere in the first week of August, the state government has not been able to contain the rising statistics on death-card.

The public health care units are overloaded with cholera and diarrhea patients but no impressive efforts from their side. Unavailability of proper health care infrastructure in such rural areas and government’s failure in providing clean drinking water has claimed 80 deaths within a week.

Though the state government has claimed that the situation is under control but increasing patients’ number sketches the real picture. After Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s order the health department has formed several medical units covering all affected areas. However no impressive results so far.

As safe drinking water is not available in those tribal areas the disease is spreading rapidly. As per the local officials they are facing difficulties as no transport facilities are available to the distant tribal villages. But it’s been a month old and the administration is still finding excuses sitting at the capital of Orissa.

Though the state health officials have deployed mobile health units at different places but those do not cover all villages moreover the authority has been unable to provide safe drinking water as a result the inflow of patients is rising day by day.

The notable factor is that cholera is a common health problem in these parts of the state killing people almost every year but state government has paid little attention on improvement of sanitation and supply of clean drinking water. As locals only rely on water from streams and tube wells (most of them are not in operation) those get contaminated with rains especially in the monsoon period, it is important for the local government officials to take note of these issues.

The opposition party in state Congress criticising the BJD-BJP government is trying to make a point and at the same time the central UPA government has not uttered a single word on the health hazards. On such circumstances, Orissa is still battling against cholera and diarrhea.