Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Tuesday saw the tenth death toll from the diarrhea outbreak in Rourkela, Odisha, as laboratory testing of certain samples revealed the presence of bacteria that cause cholera. In Rourkela, there have been ten recorded deaths thus far, and more than 500 hospital admissions due to symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. According to sources, about 400 of the patients are receiving care at the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). Nine people were killed, but with news of an eight-year-old girl from Tilaknagar, the toll rose to ten.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is expected to discuss the situation in Rourkela with senior officials in the evening, following the health concerns raised by the diarrhoea outbreak in the steel city. Doctors reported that some patients had E. Coli, while stool samples had been sent to Sundargarh for testing, and results had confirmed that the illness was cholera. They advised people to wash their hands properly before eating and to take adequate amounts of ORS. Sudharani Pradhan, superintendent of Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), told the media that following the release of the death audit report, it is now possible to determine whether the deaths were due to cholera or another cause.
According to sources, testing on the samples verified that the cholera-causing vibrio cholerae bacteria was present. According to a commissioner of the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC), the city’s circumstances have significantly improved. Ten more doctors and paramedical staff members, including some epidemiologists from Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar, have been brought in, despite the fact that the number of diarrhea cases is declining in some areas.
