Odisha Steps Up Fight Against Diarrhoea Ahead of Monsoon, Minister Chairs High-Level Review

Bhubaneswar: With monsoon season approaching and cases of diarrhoea emerging in several regions, the Odisha government has intensified its disease prevention and control measures. A high-level review meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhavan on Friday under the chairmanship of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling to assess preparedness and direct urgent actions across affected districts.

Focusing on six vulnerable districts—Jajpur, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, and Kendrapara—Dr. Mahaling urged officials to remain fully alert and adopt a coordinated, multi-departmental approach to tackle the spread of diarrhoea. “All departments must work together to ensure clean drinking water, food safety, hospital readiness, and public awareness,” the Minister said during the meeting.

Special emphasis was laid on purifying water sources, encouraging the use of halogen tablets, promoting hand hygiene, and ensuring timely treatment for those showing symptoms. Dr. Mahaling directed the Health Department to launch an intensive awareness campaign urging people to drink only boiled or purified water and to seek immediate medical care in case of illness.

Joint expert teams from the Centre and the state government have already been deployed to Cuttack, Jajpur, and Bhadrak to assess the situation. These teams are not only supporting water purification and patient care but also offering technical advice to frontline health workers and monitoring data collection for effective response.

The state government has rolled out a series of proactive steps to contain the spread of the disease. Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) under Mission Shakti have been roped in to lead community-level awareness campaigns for the next eight weeks. Simultaneously, the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department has accelerated water treatment efforts across all divisions.

The Housing and Urban Development Department is also playing a key role by deploying water workers to conduct information, education, and communication (IEC) activities focused on safe water practices in urban areas.

Administrative Secretary Ashwathy S. and District Magistrates from the six districts joined the review meeting, offering updates on the situation on the ground. The government reiterated its commitment to being fully prepared for the monsoon and preventing any potential outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases through a coordinated and preventive approach.