NCDC seeks report on jaundice outbreak in Steel City

In view of rising cases of jaundice, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), an institute of Union health ministry, has sought a report on the outbreak in Dhatkidih locality of Jamshedpur.

A two-member team of NCDC comprising epidemic intelligence service officers Shuja Qadri and K. V Anthony Dzeyie along with district health officials on Monday held more than an hour-long meeting with officials of Tata Steel utility wing, Jusco at Jusco corporate office.

East Singhbhum district surveillance officer, Dr Sahir Pall, who was also present at the meeting along with district epidemiologist, Dr Mohammed Asad informed that the meeting was held with Jusco senior general manager (Jamshedpur town services), Dhananjay Mishra and the NCDC officials sought information about the water supply system to Dhatkidih and the findings after the outbreak. The team would visit Jusco’s water treatment plant at Sakchi and also take a look at the Dhatkidih water supply network tomorrow.

 Significantly, since the last week of July, more than 300 persons have been affected by Jaundice in the densely populated Dhatkidih locality prompting the district health department to conduct health camps in the area and Jusco conducting its internal probe into the reason for the outbreak.

“The Steel City is reeling under a jaundice outbreak. Contamination of water was suspected with differing claims. There is no lab in the state for testing water for jaundice viruses. Though civic body JNAC and JUSCO are busy fighting for the smart city tag, but people are still continue to suffer. Quacks are having a field day and city residents are at the mercy of God,” said a local resident.

The district health department had recently set up a mobile health unit at  Dhatkidih. The health department has joined hands with Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS) for deployment of the mobile health unit to facilitate on the spot free health check up of patients in the densely populated residential locality.

 As per the plans, the mobile health unit provided by TSRDS will be moving in different alleys of the Dhatkidih locality and checking patients with jaundice like symptoms free of cost and referring them to either Sadar Hospital (in Khasmahal) or MGM Hospital (Sakchi) for better treatment.

  An official in the department said that the symptoms of the disease could be noticed and the incidence of the disease could be reported only 20-25 days after the affected people were infected with it. It could be easily passed off as food poisoning too. It was difficult to get the exact data of the affected population if people are infected during public functions.