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Diarrhoea patients at Chas Subdivisional Hospital on Tuesday. (Pankaj Singh)
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A sudden rise in the number of diarrhoea cases over the last few days has set alarm bells ringing in Bokaro district.
More than 60 cases have been reported since Mansa Puja celebrations on August 17, with 24 patients hailing from Monidih, Tentulia, Jala, Sonabad, Ghatiali, Kasma and some other villages of Chas block admitted to Chas Subdivisional Hospital since Saturday. Another 24 odd patients are undergoing treatment at various health centres of Gomia, Nawadih, Petrawar and Kasmar.
Reacting to the rise in the number of patients turning up in hospitals, Bokaro civil surgeon S.N. Tewary has constituted three teams of doctors to meet emergencies, while special beds have been added at all health centres.
Most of the cases have been reported from the rural belt of Chas, Petarwar, Gomia, Nawadih, Kasmar, Chandrapura, Jaridih and Chandankyari blocks, keeping rural health centre staff on their toes.
Bokaro district board chairman Mihir Kumar Singh, elected ward members and Chas municipality councillors have visited government hospitals and health centres several times to ask doctors to provide better service after some patients complained of unclean surroundings.
Tewary blamed the bad food habits of villagers — consuming stale food, drinking polluted water — for the rise in the number of cases.
“Every time before monsoon sets in, villagers are made aware of diarrhoea control measures liking eating only hot meals and drinking boiled water. However, most tend to ignore the advice, only to fall ill,” he told The Telegraph.
He added that health staff have been directed to spray insecticides and larvicides while ORS powder has been distributed in 55 villages.
“We have constituted a medical cell in every government hospital besides at health centres to meet emergencies. Several phone numbers of doctors have also been distributed. We are trying our best to treat patients and we request villagers to follow medical advice as far as food and water intake is concerned,” Tewary said.
Bokaro deputy commissioner Sunil Kumar said the district administration has embarked on a massive cleanliness drive in all blocks, while the civil surgeon has been asked to monitor health services round the clock.
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