Jajpur, Jul 29: Amid the ongoing cholera outbreak in Odisha’s Jajpur district, the Medical Officer of Dharmasala Primary Health Centre, Dr. Sudhir Kumar Sahoo, has been served a show-cause notice for alleged negligence in monitoring and managing the public health response.

The notice, issued on July 24, comes after senior officials from the Health Department and Independent Health Secretary visited the district and observed lapses in field-level surveillance and containment efforts. Authorities noted that Dr. Sahoo failed to conduct proper inspections, which contributed to the deterioration of public health services in the region.

He has been directed to submit a written explanation within seven days, justifying why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him. The outbreak, which has claimed at least 11 lives and infected over 700 people, has been confirmed to be caused by Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium responsible for cholera.

Jajpur remains the epicentre of the epidemic, with high-risk zones including Dharmasala, Vyasanagar, Binjharpur, and Bari. The district administration has shut down hotels, food stalls, and meat shops in these areas for two weeks to curb transmission.

Health Secretary Aswathy S. conducted an on-ground review and urged citizens to consume only boiled or purified water, avoid street food, and report symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea immediately.

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