Several people hit by Gastroenteritis in Lohit district

Itanagar, Jun 02 (UNI) Over 200 people have been attacked by Gastroenteritis in several villages under Namsai sub-division of Lohit district in Arunachal Pradesh over the past few days.

Official sources said here today that no deaths were reported from any of the affected villages so far.

Many villages, including Philobari, Silatoo, Lekang and Khowji, had been hit by the disease.

Local medical officers visited the affected areas and treated about 200 patients. However, proper treatment could not be provided following lack of adequate medicines.

The minimum required medicines were being locally procured by the administration and provided for the purpose, the sources informed, adding that Namsai Additional Deputy Commissioner R K Sharma had taken up the matter with higher authorities for providing medicines immediately to avoid further spread of the disease.

A meeting of doctors and medical officers was held on May 30 where matters pertaining to the spread of gastroenteritis and malaria and measures to contain it were thoroughly discussed, the sources said.

The meeting decided to complete the first round of DDT spray in the entire Namsai area by June 15 and the second round from June 20, for which sprayers and adequate quantity of DDT would be required.

Steps were also taken to distribute mosquito nets in the affected area to control malaria cases.

All concerned administrative and medical officers had also been directed to take special steps for villages, including Medo, Namgo, Insa, Chakma and labour areas under Chowkham circle, which were highly prone to malaria, the sources informed.

Meanwhile, pamphlets and pictorial booklets on do's and don'ts in case of vector-borne dieases had been distributed among the villagers for spreading awareness by the Namsai administration, sources added.

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