The Hindu : National : Dasmantpur ill-equipped to tackle cholera

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Sunday, Sep 02, 2007
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Dasmantpur ill-equipped to tackle cholera

Special Correspondent

Dasmantpur (Orissa): Oriya Kanjika (35) has lost three members of his family to cholera at Dasmantpur, one of the worst hit zones in Koraput district. The epidemic has claimed 80 lives. While his father died on Friday, his eight-year-old son and mother fell victim a few days ago. Kanjika was himself affected by diarrhoea.

There were not many people around to help him carry the body of his father to his village, Pajar, 20 km from the Dasmantpur Community Health Centre.

Private vehicle hired

His 20-hour wait ended only when a private vehicle hired by the administration reached the hospital on Saturday afternoon.

As against the required strength of 11, there are only three doctors in Dasmantpur, though cholera deaths in the area had started two months ago. Until the administration reacted to the situation about 10 days ago, the community health centre was managed by two doctors from two primary health centres.

The disease has spread to all 16 gram panchayats in the tribal-dominated block.

In Bhubaneswar, senior Congress leaders criticised the Naveen Patnaik Government for its “total failure to control the epidemic.”

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