2,690 ORS, zinc corners to be set up in DK

District Health Officer Dr Ramakrishna Rao said that 2,690 oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc corners will be set up in anganwadi centres, PHCs, CHCs, taluk and district hospitals from June 3.

The Health Department is taking the move with various medical colleges and the Women and Child Development Department. The drive is a part of ‘intensified diarrhoea control fortnight’ campaign targeting children below the age of five years in the district, he said.

“In the ORS and zinc corners, demonstration will be provided on preparing ORS mixture and the need to use ORS to check dehydration during diarrhoea. They will also administer ORS and zinc tablets to children who are in need of these during diarrhoea. Zinc tablets will be given to children suffering from diarrhoea for 14 days to develop their immunity,” the DHO said and added, “The intensified diarrhoea control fortnight campaign will be held from June 3 to 17.

The officer also said that the nationwide ‘Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight’ (IDCF) includes visits by Asha workers to all households that have children below five years of age. The workers will hand ORS sachets to such households and will counsel the parents on the benefits and process of preparing it.

Special emphasis will be laid on hand washing among schoolchildren, cooks, anganwadi assistants, as one of the main causes of diarrhoea is lack of hygiene. The fortnight will also embark on promoting breastfeeding practices, he explained.

“We are taking up measures to create awareness on infant and young children’s feeding practices. Mothers will be told that infants should be exclusively breastfed for first six months and not to stop it even during diarrhoea,” said the DHO.

A total of 2,101 Anganwadi workers, 1,354 Asha workers, 390 junior women health assistants, 16 Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram team members will be a part of the fortnight, Dr Rao said.

No death

According to the National Family Health Survey, 8% of the children below five years of age succumb to diarrhoea in India.

In Dakshina Kannada, however, there has been no such death. There are 1,40,288 children below five year old in the district, said Dr Rao.

The district administration has issued a directions to all the 230 gram panchayat PDOs and ULB commissioners and chief officers to chlorinate the sources of water before supplying to the general public. All the taluk hospitals, district hospital, PHCs and CHCs have been directed to clean water tanks, said the officer.