Diseases stalk flood-hit

Rajbiraj, September 19:

A number of Saptakoshi flood victims have been suffering from waterborne diseases.

During a medical check-up among flood victims putting up in Bhardaha-based temporary relief camps, 11 were found to be suffering from cholera, Dr Sarbesh Jha, Saptari medical officer of the World Health Organisation, said. According to him, most of cholera patients were Indian nationals.

“A team from Doctors Sans Frontier also diagnosed two flood victims with cholera,” said Gaurishankar Dev, a senior assistant health worker at the Saptari District Public Health Office.

Stool of dysentery patients has been sent to Kathmandu for further tests, a senior administrator at the DPHO, Chandra Dev Mehata, said.

Forty victims, including 20 children, have been suffering from measles, the WHO said, adding that one-third of the measles patients were from Birpur, India.

Meanwhile, two children of Sripur-4 of Sunsari have been admitted to the Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital as they started showing symptoms of polio.

A vaccination campaign was launched in the relief camps as symptoms of measles and polio were seen, the Saptari DPHO said.

Polio drops and measles vaccines were administered to 3,794 and 3506 children respectively, senior health assistant Dev said.

So far, dysentery has killed 17 camp residents.