CHOLERA PANIC
Calcutta, June 3 (AP)
East Pakistani refugees poured into Calcutta Thursday to escape a Cholera epidemic that has already claimed more than 1,000 lives.
The epidemic, which first broke out last week in the many East Pakistani refugee camps along the Indian border, appeared to be worsening as a result of a cholera vaccine shortage.
The Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal state, B.S. Nahar, told news men about 50,000 refugees had reached the outskirts of the city in the past 24 hours and many more were on their way.
He said another 40,000 had emgered the city last weekend, with many living without shelter near Calcutta airport and in the neighboring Parganas disirict.
State Health Minister Jainal Abeden said there were now 6,200 confirmed cases of Cholera in the camps. Other reliable, but unofficital sources claimed the figure was aove 10,000.
The Health Minister said the Central Indian Government had been asked to rush 2.5 million Cholera vaccine doses to the state. Authoritative sources said there was a serious shortage of vaccine. At least one million doses were needed each week while total production in the city was only about 200,000, they said.
Health officials said that widescale inoloucation against Cholera must begin at once to head off an epidemic in Calcutta that could spread easilly to other parts of the country.
Reference : Indonesian Observer, 04.06.1971