SURKHET: Seven persons have lost their lives due to diarrhoea in the district so far. The death toll reached seven, following the death of five more persons in the last two days.

Three persons lost their lives in Lagam VDC last evening. According to District Public Health Office, Surkhet, Soure Kami of Lagam-1, Jaubhane Budha of Lagam-3 and another unidentified person died due to diarrhoea last night. Deuman BK of Taranga-6 and Ramesh Prasad Adhikari of Lekhparajul-5 had died of diarrhoea on Sunday. Laxmi Rana and an unidentified girl had died due to diarrhoea in the last week of June.

Around 100 people in Lekhparajul, 150 in Taranga and 50 in Lagam are affected with the disease, according to the District Public Health Office. Lagam, Lekhparajul, Taranga, Mehelkuna and Ghoretar VDCs are among the worst-affected VDCs in the district.

Meanwhile, an all-party meeting held here today decided to keep health workers on high alert. The meeting also decided to dispatch medical teams with necessary medicines to the affected VDCs at the earliest. According to the District Public Health Office, the meeting also decided to request the government to arrange a chopper to ferry health workers and medicines to the affected areas.

Though the death toll due to diarrhoea has reached 150 in Jajarkot, Rukum, Salyan and Dailekh districts, the Mid-Western Regional Health Directorate Office has confirmed 126 deaths so far.

“We will start health camps in other districts to prevent the disease from spreading,” Dr Ananda Kumar Shrestha, regional health director, said.

Meanwhile, two more persons have died due to diarrhoea in Jajarkot. Has Kumar Singh (52) of Napkawada-4 and Gyanu Upadhyaya (65) of Dhime-2 died due to diarrhoea last night, according to District Public Health Office, Jajarkot. With these deaths, the death toll in the district has reached 108.

The Nepali Army has been running health camps in Dasera, Daha and Sima to tame the outbreak. Likewise, the Armed Police Force has been running health camps in Jugathapchaur and Kortang VDCs and the Nepal Police has been running camps in Dalli and Sakla VDCs.

Separate teams of health workers from the Ministry of Health and Population have been running health camps in Gorkhakot and Majhkot VDCs.

“Two experts from the World Health Organisation are investigating the sample to find reasons behind the outbreak,” Dr Krishna Hari Subedi, chief, District Public Health Office, Jajarkot, said.

The diarrhoeal outbreak in 13 VDCs in Rukum district has not been controlled yet. Twenty-five persons have already died in the district due to diarrhoea. “We are yet to tame the outbreak despite trying very hard,” Dr Binod Giri said, adding, “The situation is under control in Gotamkot VDC. But it has spread to 12 other VDCs.”

According to Giri, government health personnel, Nepali Army, police personnel and a team from ADRA Nepal have been treating patients in the district.