Mumbai: BMC’s bid for better stomach of little ones as gastroenteritis cases surge

Following the surge in gastroenteritis cases, the public health officials are going to begin the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) campaign across the city from July 1 to July 15.

During the programme targeting children aged up to 5, the workers would counsel the parents on various aspects of preventing and controlling the spread of diarrhoea. Officials said the Anganwadi workers and the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) would make door-to-door visits in villages to distribute oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc tablets.

Senior officer from the civic health department said there are over 6 lakh kids who will be covered in this campaign. The goal of the program is to reduce child mortality due to diarrhoea.

If the child is diagnosed with diarrhoea, the parents should immediately contact the nearest municipal health facility, appealed BMC executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare.

Having a cursory glance at the near past, the pediatrician believes that the acute diarrhoea in children has gone up in the last few weeks. Rotavirus is a virus that spreads easily among infants and young children.

The virus can cause severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain.

“Most of the diarrhoea cases in children are viral in origin such as norovirus, astrovirus, adenovirus. However, the most common and also the worst is rotavirus as the frequency of passing stools is too high and many have to be hospitalised due to dehydration,” explained a paediatrician.

“Daily, we are seeing 5-10 cases of diarrhoea in children,” the medico underlined, adding that the current cases among kids are more than the last two years.

Published on: Thursday, July 07, 2022, 09:15 AM IST