Dhading, October 16:

Two persons died and over 100 have fallen sick because of diarrhoea that has spread at Sharki and Simle villages of Jyamrung VDC in mid-Dhading district. According to a local health volunteer, Sofa Shrestha, two persons died of diarrhoea which spread here before the Dashain festival. The dead include Susmita Nepali, 11, and Batuli Nepali, 55, said the Dhading District Public Health Office (DPHO). Diarrhoea broke out in the villages before Dashain but

the DPHO received information only yesterday, said DPHO sources.

“After receiving information, yesterday a team of health workers from the DPHO left for the site with medicines,” said Dhading DPHO chief, Sagar Dahal.

There is no assistant health worker at the Jyamrung sub-health post since the last some months. Patients are deprived of medicare in the absence of health workers, locals said.

The Rastriya Samachar Samiti reported that epidemic of diarrhoea which broke out last week has affected the Dalit community of Dum in Malekpur-1 of Saptari district. Almost all people in the community are affected by the disease. While in charge of the sub health post close to the village, Kamal Nath Jha, said there is shortage of medicine in the health post, locals say the Dum people who are socially backward and economically poor are taking loan to buy medicines.

A victim, Jagat Marik (Dum), says he is bound to take loan of Rs 4,000 as all his family members suffered from the disease. Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital, Rajbiraj has informed that more than 200 diarrhoea patients have returned home after treatment. However, Chief of the District Public Health Office, Chandradev Mahato said he was not informed of the shortage of medicine. Meanwhile, Maithili Sahitya Parisad has launched a street drama to make people aware of Kalaazar, pneumonia and gastroenteritis.

The drama is displayed in Dalit communities of the district with the joint initiatives of District Public Health Saptari and Britain Trust Nepal. Mahendra Mandal (Banbari) of Maithili Sahitya Parisad said the drama is to be shown in 12 densely populated VDCs out of the 114 VDCs of the district.