ORS, most affordable medicine for treatment of diarrhoea: Dr Chourjit
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 22 2013:
Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) is the best and most affordable medicine to treat children suffering from diarrhoea which usually occurs at the beginning of summer season, paediatrician Dr Ksh Chourjit told Hueiyen Lanpao in an exclusive interview in connection with the observance of ORS Week starting from today.
He said that diarrhoeal disease is caused by different types of viruses such as Norwalk Adenovirus, Corbna Calici and Astrovirus.
Children in the age group of three months to two years mostly suffer from this disease.
Dr Chourjit further said that diarrhoeal disease is the most common cause of illness and the second leading cause of childhood deaths in the world.
About 1.6 million deaths every year and 4000 deaths per day occurred globally due to diarrhoea.
In India, four lakh people died of diarrhoea annually, children accounting for 90% of the deaths.
The World Health Organisation launched oral rehydration therapy (ORT) with home fluids and ORS in the 1980s.This reduced mortality due to diarrhoea by as much as 50%.So ORS is widely described as the "most important medical advance of the century." ORS is inexpensive, easily available and easy to use, Dr Chourjit observed.
Meanwhile, about 70 children are being admitted to JNIMS Hospital daily.
Out of those 70 children, five/six children suffer from diarrhoeal disease, hospital sources said.
As in other parts of the country, ORS Week would be observed through the State to create awareness regarding child deaths caused by diarrhoea and dehydration, as well as to promote use of ORS in minimising the damage.