The disease had already claimed the lives of four elderly people of Batalagaun and two others of Baglek VDC this past week. [break]
Tirmale Batala, 78, his spouse Paru Devi, 75, Mahamati Devi Batala, 72, Dura Devi Batala, 35, of Batalagaun, and Abi Saud, 73, and Gedi Kami of Baglek had died due to the disease last week.
Padam singh Batala, a local, informed that 14 elderly people and around 20 children have taken ill due to diarrheal disease. “It is frightening as six people from our village died within a week,” he said.
Chakra Kathayet, another local, said that shortage of medicine at health post was partly responsible for the deaths. Many patients are being treated at private clinics at Sajhghat and Chaukhutte.
Bishnu Raj Joshi, an auxiliary health worker at local health post, has been absent from duty since the past two weeks. Kathayet said that the health post handled by auxiliary nurse midwife is running out of essential drugs and ailing people are compelled to go to private clinics.
District Public Health Office (DPHO) Doti expressed ignorance about the outbreak of disease in the district. On being told about the outbreak, a communication officer at the DPHO said, “We will send doctors and medicine to the affected area.”
A team of health workers comprising doctors and medicine have already been sent to Bagalegaun, one of the affected areas. “The outbreak occurred due to open defecation and consumption of contaminated water,” Tej Bikram Sahai, a senior auxiliary health worker, said.
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