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Endemic re-run fear in Jajarkot
JAJARKOT, APR 18 -
Diarrhoea has gripped over a dozen VDCs of Jajarkot district and killed two women in the last one week.
Tilu Tamata of Majakot VDC and Dharmi Shahi of Jugathapachaur VDC died on Friday and Saturday, respectively, for want of prompt medicare.
The sudden outbreak and deaths have prompted fears it could outstrip the endemic that raged last year when
over 200 people died of diarrhoea and many more had taken ill.
Authorities claim strict precautions are being taken but the situation is not reassuring. Folks in rural Jajarkot still defecate in the open and drink polluted water from water bodies — two major causes of last year’s endemic. The government had announced to build 3,000 toilets, undertake water purification and launch public awareness programmes after last year’s epidemic, but the plan is in limbo.
The Drinking Water and Sanitation Office approved the tender for construction of toilets in rural Jajarkot only recently while chlorine tablets for water purification have not been distributed yet.
VDCs like Sakla, Nayakwada, Khagenkot, Sima, Pajaru, Majakot, Ramidanda, Ragda Bhagwati and Jugathapachaur are hit hard. So far, over 1,000 people have been treated, said the District Public Health Office (DPHO).
“More patients are coming, but we’re prepared. Health centres have medicine stocks and health workers,” DPHO Chief Dr. Jhalak Gautam said, adding that the outbreak of diarrhoea was due to the weather change and has shown no sign of turning into an epidemic.
Last year also, when a man in Rokayagaon died the DPHO had claimed all was normal. Yet, in subsequent weeks dozens died and scores took ill. Health workers could not attend to the overwhelming number of patients and the government had to deploy medics from the Capital.
Posted on: 2010-04-19 07:50
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