Cholera patients given anti-diarrhoea doze!

KATHMANDU: Well after a month of the outbreak of diarrhoea and death of over 200 people in western Nepal, the government lacks strategic measures to tame the menace.

Dr Dhirgha Singh Bom, secretary, Ministry of Health and Population, today said their curative as well as preventive measures for the recently-diagnosed cholera in the region were the same as those used for treating diarrhoea.

"The medicine given to diarrhoea patients is also given to cholera patients so we have not replaced the medicine by another in the affected areas," Bom said. He said cholera was seen in the stool samples of patients.

Talking to The Himalayan Times today, he said the case could not be confirmed as cholera on the basis of five reports, three of which tested positive. The test was undertaken with the technical assistance of World Health Organisation.

"Unless the people are aware about personal hygiene and sanitation of surrounding environment, it is impossible to improve the situation," Bom said.

He added that preventive and curative measures for the surrounding districts were in focus, too.