Admin to provide free soaps

Jajpur: The Jajpur district administration has started to distribute free soaps to residents in diarrhoea-affected areas as part of a public health initiative to promote hand washing and reduce the spread of the disease. This initiative is a part of a broader effort to improve hygiene and sanitation in several areas of Jajpur district, particularly in response to recent outbreaks of diarrhoea which claimed several lives, already infected over 2,000 people in the last couple of days with hundreds getting hospitalised.

“From Wednesday onwards, each family of the diarrhoea-affected areas of the district will be provided two soaps free of cost. Out of these two soaps, one will be used for hand washing before taking food and another will be used for toilet purposes,” said Jajpur Collector P Anvesha Reddy. Reddy said by this step the vulnerable population will be accustomed to wash their hands before taking food and can maintain health hygiene in all respects. “Diarrhoea is often caused by poor hygienic conditions and lack of sanitation and the water-borne disease can be significantly reduced by practising regular hand washing with soap,” she said. As many as 104 new patients have been admitted to different hospitals by Wednesday evening while nine of them have been referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Likewise, 112 patients have been discharged from various hospitals on Tuesday, official sources said. However, 174 diarrhoea patients are currently undergoing treatment in different health facilities in Jajpur district on Wednesday. Awareness programnes have also been stepped up, including messages through microphones at ward levels, provision of special information on diarrhoea on health walls, installation of ORS and Zinc corners at healthcare centres, dissemination of precautionary messages at special meetings of Rural Welfare Committees and regular purification of drinking water sources.