Jaundice raises its ugly head again  

SAMBALPUR: Fresh cases of jaundice have been reported in the city with the number of affected persons going up to 18 on Wednesday. As per reports, 16 jaundice cases have been reported from Mayabagicha and Pensionpada while one each has been detected in Mudipada and Pradhanpada.Of the total 18 cases, 12 have tested Hepatitis-E and rest six are Hepatitis-A. With household pipe water connection in many areas of the city passing through the drains, it is believed that the contaminated water is spreading the disease.

Additional District Medical Officer (Public Health), Sambalpur, Panchanan Nayak said they have been organising health and awareness camp at Mayabagicha and Pensionpada daily. The medical officials are collecting blood samples for test and distributing medicines at the health camp. They are also sensitising the people and asking them to use boiled water, he added. Many household water pipelines are passing through drains and several pipelines have developed leakages resulting in contamination of the water. Samples are also being collected from various places for test regularly, he informed.

Assistant Engineer of Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO), Sambalpur, Jadab Chandra Dehury said they have asked the people to relocate the household pipe connection, which are passing through drains. But not a single person has relocated pipelines as yet. The PHEO has decided to disconnect those pipelines from Thursday.

Meanwhile, Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) is making announcement to sensitise the city dwellers and asking them to use boiled water to keep jaundice at bay. The civic officials are also conducting raids on roadside eateries and destroying unhygienic food to check spreading of the disease.
Earlier, jaundice had gripped the city in 2014 and created panic among the locals. The disease had claimed more than 30 lives and hundreds of people had been affected in that year.