MoHP: What to do if you have Cholera?

The Ministry of Health and Population has urged to be vigilant as the number of cholera cases in the Kathmandu Valley has increased.

The ministry has urged to take precautions as diseases like cholera and diarrhea are spreading with the onset of the summer and rainy season. The ministry has urged to pay attention to the quality of drinking water and food as well as to sanitation. Dr. Sameer Kumar Adhikari, the Joint Spokesperson of the Ministry, said that the public has been urged to be vigilant as the cholera outbreak has increased.

He has requested to drink only purified and boiled drinking water as cholera has been found in the polluted drinking water. So far, 12 people have contracted cholera, according to the ministry.

Cholera has been reported due to contaminated drinking water. To avoid diarrhea, it is recommended to defecate only in the toilet, after defecating, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. And also, before cooking, feeding and eating wash your hands with soap and water. They have recommended to drink only boiled or filtered water or by mixing three drops of chlorine solution in one liter of water. Similarly, they have also requested not to eat stale, rotten, flies-infested food and urge to keep the source of drinking water clean and safe.

Similarly, if you are sick enough to eat or drink, have blood in your stool, have frequent vomiting, fever and frequent loose stools, you have to be taken to the hospital.

Diarrhea can be treated at home

Similarly, diarrhea can be treated at home, the ministry said. In case you have diarrhea; keep a Jeevan Jal (oral rehydration salts) in a liter of clean water, then dissolve it well and take it again and again. Adequate amounts of clean and liquid food, as well as soft and easily digested food, should be fed slowly and repeatedly.

In such cases, as recommended by the health worker, the amount of zinc mill should be fed regularly, personal hygiene should be taken care of and clean water and food should be consumed.

Chief of the Kathmandu District Health Office, Basanta Adhikari, said that drinking water in Bagbazar and Dilli Bazaar was found to be polluted. He said that the water in those places contained the bacterium 'E. Coli' is found in human feces as well as coliforms. He added that the awareness program was launched after the outbreak of cholera.

Monitoring of drinking water

Similarly, drinking water will be monitored in Kathmandu district for the prevention and control of cholera. According to the chief official of the office, a joint team of the Department of Food Monitoring and Quality Control, district administration and security agencies will monitor the quality of water distributed by jar, bottle and tanker traders.

Similarly, Kathmandu Metropolitan City will write to schools and ward offices to conduct public awareness programs for cholera control. To improve the quality of drinking water from Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, it has been decided to increase the amount of chlorine in the currently distributed water and to collect and test water samples in risky areas.