Odisha's Health Minister Takes Action Amid Cholera Outbreak in Jajpur District

Health Minister's Visit to Jajpur

Bhubaneswar: On Sunday, Mukesh Mahaling, the Health and Family Welfare Minister of Odisha, visited Jajpur district to evaluate the cholera situation and oversee the ongoing containment and treatment measures.

During his visit, Mahaling engaged in comprehensive discussions with a team from the Central Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, state government representatives, and district administration officials.

The focus of these discussions was on strategies for prevention, treatment protocols, ensuring sufficient medical personnel, and other critical actions to manage the outbreak.

In a media briefing, Mahaling advised the public to seek medical attention from qualified doctors at local hospitals rather than relying on unqualified practitioners, and to obtain medications from pharmacies only after consulting with healthcare professionals.

He stated, "I visited over five Community Health Centres and the District Headquarters Hospital in Jajpur to assess the current situation. Following the outbreak, central teams from various health departments have been reviewing the situation and identifying the causes. Our efforts are concentrated on three main areas: disinfecting water sources, interrupting the infection chain, and closely monitoring the situation to prevent further spread."

Mahaling also mentioned that district nodal officers, tasked with managing cases of diarrhea and cholera, have compiled profiles of affected individuals and will provide doxycycline to their family members and recent contacts to curb the spread of cholera.

The Minister reassured that the government is committed to taking all necessary measures to prevent cholera from spreading to other regions of the state.

He highlighted that several cases of diarrhea have also been reported in Kendrapara and Keonjhar districts, and he plans to visit Keonjhar to assess the situation there.

Mahaling informed reporters that the central team has collected samples of water and food from the affected areas to identify the outbreak's root causes.

He noted that approximately 12 fatalities are suspected, although only five deaths have been officially confirmed at this time.

Investigations into the remaining cases are ongoing.

As per official reports, 11 patients have tested positive for cholera so far.

Additionally, 1,516 patients suffering from diarrhea have been admitted to various hospitals in Jajpur district as of June 15.

Of these, 1,306 have recovered, while 210 continue to receive treatment in different hospitals.

Notably, the union health ministry has dispatched a seven-member medical team and a three-member food safety team to Odisha.

Furthermore, a four-member team from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also arrived in Odisha to address the situation.