Political slugfest begins in Cuttak over jaundice epidemic

Opposition Congress and BJP today took to the streets slamming the BJD government in Odisha and the BJD council in the city's civic body for inept handling in tackling the jaundice menace in Cuttack.
The city, which registered at least 150 cases of jaundice last year, has already witnessed 44 positive cases of the water-borne disease over the past one week this year.
"If adequate measures are not taken right now, jaundice may assume epidemic proportion in the city," warned city Congress president and PCC treasurer Md Moqim adding contaminated drinking water and poor civic maintenances leading to unhygienic conditions everywhere were the two main causes of the spread of jaundice in the city.

Leading a delegation of Congress workers, Moqim submitted a memorandum to the District Collector on the day and urged the latter to ensure that safe drinking water was available in every part of the city.
The Congress leader too came down heavily on the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) alleging the corrupt civic body has been turning blind eye to civic problems of the residents.
On the other hand, BJP too took to the streets targeting the ruling BJD. The state vice-president and senior BJP leader Nayan Mohanty on the day moved around the jaundice affected areas of Jobra and met the afflicted families.

The party has demanded stringent actions against the erring district officials, particularly of the Public Health Department (PHD) for the present situation.
Confirming that four more blood samples of patients were found positive to jaundice test, chief district medical officer (CDMO) Prafulla Behera said till date, 44 cases of jaundice have been detected and all of them were from Jobra locality.