Question : Waterborne Diseases

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the number of deaths recorded due to waterborne diseases in the country; State/UT-wise;

(b) whether the Government has taken steps to check waterborne diseases in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there is shortage of bacteriologists in the country, if so, the necessary steps taken in this regard;

(d) whether the Government proposes to provide mobile laboratories in hilly, remote, inaccessible and backward areas of the country, if so, the details thereof; and

(e) if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a): As per the data reported by Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), the details of deaths due to waterborne diseases in the country; State/UT-wise during the current year are placed at Annexure.

(b): Consumption of contaminated drinking water is the cause for diseases such as Cholera, Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases, Enteric Fever (Typhoid) & Viral Hepatitis (A & E) etc.

Health is a State subject and the responsibility for providing safe drinking water primarily lies with respective State Government. However, the Ministry of Health and Family welfare provide financial and technical assistance to States/UTs under the National Health Mission for strengthening of Primary and Secondary health care facilities to effectively respond to health care need including health problems arising from consumption of contaminated drinking water. To prevent the spread such outbreaks, under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), States/UTs are provided with additional manpower, training of identified Rapid Response Team members for outbreak investigations, strengthening of laboratories for detection of epidemic prone diseases, IT equipment for data entry, analysis and data transfer, and provision of funds for operationalization.



(c): All bacteriologists come under the bigger umbrella of Microbiology. As per Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists, there are 3214 life members, who can be considered as medical microbiologists. However, the number of bacteriologists working in the country, State/UT-wise is not maintained centrally.

Most teaching hospitals employ microbiologists on the basis of recommendations of Medical Council of India which decides the staffing pattern based on the number of students admitted to the medical college.

(d) & (e): Under IDSP of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, district hospital laboratories are strengthened for diagnosis of epidemic prone diseases by providing additional funds, equipment after gap analysis, manpower and reagents and kits.

Till date, 292 laboratories have been approved by Government of India for strengthening of which 186 laboratories are performing tests as per IDSP norms. These laboratories are located throughout the country including hilly, remote, inaccessible and backward areas.