NATION LOOSES 18 CRORE MANDAYS DUE TO WATER BORNE DISEASES

Balarampur, 17 December 2009.About 18 crore mandays are lost every year due to various water borne diseases. This information was given at a seminar on Total Sanitation Campaign at the Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign held in Balarampur Abhoy Ashram Nai Talim Vidyapith under Kharagpur-II Block of Paschim Medinipur district. Shri Bishnupada Bhunia Project Coordinator, Ramkrishna Mission Lok Shiksha Parishad said that in monetary terms this loss amounts to Rs.1200 crores per annum. He also said that a person infected with contaminated water or water borne diseases has to spend Rs.611/- per year. In order to contain such infection proper sanitation standards have to be maintained and health codes to be followed, he said. If such awareness can be generated, in 80% cases disease can be prevented, he observed. Terming water as the primary source of infection he called upon the people to quit the practice of passing urine and stool in open places and to have a proper toilet at their house, wash hands before and after having food and after going to toilets.

Shri Swapan Ghorui, Sr. Project Asstt. Ramkrishna Lok Shiksha Parishad said that by not abiding by the health code we are witnessing death of one child in every eight seconds. The one third of the people affected with diarrhoea belongs to our state West Bengal, he said. He also informed that in order to look after each source of the village a committee has been constituted and this system is already in place in Paschim Medinipur district.

Speaking at a seminar on National Rural Health Mission Dr. Balaram Sahoo, Asstt. Chief Medical Officer of Health said that a number of activities have been undertaken for the people below poverty line under NRHM. A health sub-center has been constructed at each village with a population of 5 thousand. Due to lack of awareness people are not reaping the benefit of the Janani Suraksha Yojna introduced for the mother and the child, he lamented.