Gessler
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NEW DELHI: The fear of an epidemic outbreak in flood-ravaged
areas of Uttarakhand may be turning into reality as hundreds of people
from local villages reported to medical camps set up by the forces
complaining of fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. At least 128 people
reported high temperature and gastro-intestinal infections in Ramnagar
a tiny village near Guptkashi in Kedarnath valley through Monday
and Tuesday. Three ITBP men engaged in rescue work in Kedarnath
have also reported sick.
Authorities are now suspecting contamination of water resources in the
area due to hundreds of decaying bodies spread across the valley.
Although medical camps set up by ITBP, NDRF and armed forces are
already helping victims with medicines, the Centre is sending a high-level
team comprising doctors and specialists to Uttarakhand to review public
health measures.
Though the situation is not being seen by the government as alarming as
no outbreak of water/air borne or direct contact diseases has been
reported so far, cases of diarrhoea in areas such as Alwalpur (Haridwar),
Udvi (Uuttakashi) and Chandrapuri (Rudraprayag) have been brought
to the notice of local medical support teams. The government, however,
claims to have managed them at "incipient stage" after picking up early
warning signals.
The situation in Kedarnath is worrisome. "In the past two days alone,
128 people have reported water-borne diseases from one small village in
Guptkashi. It seems the water in the area has been contaminated," an
NDRF official told TOI.
Most of the victims are local villagers who depend on natural springs
for drinking water. "There are so many bodies across the Kedarnath valley
that it is not surprising that their decay is causing contamination of water.
It needs to be contained now or we could have a bigger problem at hand,"
an ITBP official said.
To stem the contamination, forces are not only helping willing villagers
to leave the valley even as government is rushing in medicines and chlorine
tablets but NDRF is also assisting in mass cremation. "We have sent a
team with specialized equipment such as cutters and pulleys to help state
authorities extricate bodies from under the debris and cremate them,"
NDRF IG Sandeep Rai Rathore said.
Speaking of health concerns in affected areas, a home ministry official said,
"Three central public health teams are already there. They have been
coordinating with doctors and taking all required measures to prevent
outbreak of any disease in a situation which is certainly quite vulnerable."
He said district units of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)
were conducting health surveillance in all affected districts. Eight additional
teams were kept on standby, ready to move to the affected areas at short
notice, he added.
Besides, a specialist from National Vector Borne Disease Control
Programme has been placed with the state government for providing
assistance on matters pertaining to vector borne diseases. Three
teams for providing psycho-social support have been arranged from
NIMHANS, Bangalore.
"Over 10,00,000 chlorine tablets are being procured by the ministry
of health for the flood-hit areas in Uttarakhand", said the official.
Uttarakhand floods: Epidemic looms as people complain of fever, diarrhea
areas of Uttarakhand may be turning into reality as hundreds of people
from local villages reported to medical camps set up by the forces
complaining of fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. At least 128 people
reported high temperature and gastro-intestinal infections in Ramnagar
a tiny village near Guptkashi in Kedarnath valley through Monday
and Tuesday. Three ITBP men engaged in rescue work in Kedarnath
have also reported sick.
Authorities are now suspecting contamination of water resources in the
area due to hundreds of decaying bodies spread across the valley.
Although medical camps set up by ITBP, NDRF and armed forces are
already helping victims with medicines, the Centre is sending a high-level
team comprising doctors and specialists to Uttarakhand to review public
health measures.
Though the situation is not being seen by the government as alarming as
no outbreak of water/air borne or direct contact diseases has been
reported so far, cases of diarrhoea in areas such as Alwalpur (Haridwar),
Udvi (Uuttakashi) and Chandrapuri (Rudraprayag) have been brought
to the notice of local medical support teams. The government, however,
claims to have managed them at "incipient stage" after picking up early
warning signals.
The situation in Kedarnath is worrisome. "In the past two days alone,
128 people have reported water-borne diseases from one small village in
Guptkashi. It seems the water in the area has been contaminated," an
NDRF official told TOI.
Most of the victims are local villagers who depend on natural springs
for drinking water. "There are so many bodies across the Kedarnath valley
that it is not surprising that their decay is causing contamination of water.
It needs to be contained now or we could have a bigger problem at hand,"
an ITBP official said.
To stem the contamination, forces are not only helping willing villagers
to leave the valley even as government is rushing in medicines and chlorine
tablets but NDRF is also assisting in mass cremation. "We have sent a
team with specialized equipment such as cutters and pulleys to help state
authorities extricate bodies from under the debris and cremate them,"
NDRF IG Sandeep Rai Rathore said.
Speaking of health concerns in affected areas, a home ministry official said,
"Three central public health teams are already there. They have been
coordinating with doctors and taking all required measures to prevent
outbreak of any disease in a situation which is certainly quite vulnerable."
He said district units of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)
were conducting health surveillance in all affected districts. Eight additional
teams were kept on standby, ready to move to the affected areas at short
notice, he added.
Besides, a specialist from National Vector Borne Disease Control
Programme has been placed with the state government for providing
assistance on matters pertaining to vector borne diseases. Three
teams for providing psycho-social support have been arranged from
NIMHANS, Bangalore.
"Over 10,00,000 chlorine tablets are being procured by the ministry
of health for the flood-hit areas in Uttarakhand", said the official.
Uttarakhand floods: Epidemic looms as people complain of fever, diarrhea
