Authorities fear outbreak of communicable diseases in flood-hit areas of Nepal

Saptari (Nepal), Sept 5 : While the people in flood ravaged parts of Nepal are already facing tough times fighting with the Kosi catastrophe, the threat of outbreak of epidemic is adding to their woes.

More than 1000 cases of diarrhoea and dysentery have been reported in the flood-hit areas of Nepal. The civic authorities apprehended that the situation might worsen, as the conditions in the camps for the victims of the recent Kosi floods are far from satisfactory.

The relief camps are chock-full with the people displaced in the floods most of whom are suffering from various diseases, diarrhoea being most common.

The authorities are struggling to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic, as the patients complain of not much improvement in their health.

"I was hospitalized in ward number two. There the doctors said that they would not be able to do anything. Then I came here. Here even the condition is not good and I am still suffering from loose motions and vomiting," said Mahendera Mandal, a patient.

Most of the patients complain of vomiting, abnormal motions and stomachache, which are the major symptoms of diarrhoea.

The paramedical staff has been treating them, but they are yet to recover health.

"My condition was bad from past three days. Five bottles of glucose was given to me as my stomach was swollen. But my condition is not good yet," complained Aruliya Devi, a patient.

The major cause of people suffering from stomach ailments is the dearth of pure drinking water forcing them to consume water from contaminated water sources.

"If we consider the situation till now then we can say that the probability of outbreak of diarrhoea and dysentery is quite high as these people are not getting pure drinking water. They tend to drink water from Kosi River or from any other water resource, because of which diarrhoea cases are increasing day by day," Hari Narayan, Paramedical staff.

Though the authorities have taken special care to disinfect the water from contaminated sources with the help of halogen tablets but apprehensions persist that would not be enough to check the outbreak of the dreaded diarrhoea and dysentery.

Bihar and neighbouring Nepal have witnessed the worst floods in the last five decades, because of the river Kosi deviating its path after breaching a dam in Nepal in mid August.

About 90 people have lost their lives and approximately three million people have been uprooted.

ANI