After 380 diarrhoea cases, Phillaur stares at cholera threat

Out of 7 stool samples sent to state lab, two were found positive for cholera; contaminated water is reason

JALANDHAR: With a detection of more than 380 patients suffering from diarrhoea since June 23 in the four wards of Phillaur town, the health department has now confirmed the cholera outbreak here on Monday.

A total of seven stool samples were collected from various houses and were sent to the state lab for examining the cholera out of which, two were found positive for the disease.

The other five samples were reportedly tested for mixed diarrhoea infections.

With the detection of cholera cases, it is apparent that contaminated water is the reason behind the outbreak, which claimed two lives in the town last week.

Moreover, five out of seven water samples collected from the affected areas have also failed the potability test, which has further corroborated the fact that water being supplied is not fit for consumption.

Member of Parliament (MP) Santokh Chaudhary has already ordered a magisterial probe to fix the responsibility of the outbreak .

However, the number of patients in the Phillaur civil hospital has started receding with more additional health teams being posted at the affected wards.

These teams are also conducting house-to-house survey and providing oral rehydration salts (ORS) packets and chlorine tablets besides organising medical camps.

The water supply and sanitation department has already disconnected several illegal connections in the area and stopped the water supply till the cleaning of all water pipes in all affected wards.

More water tanks have been stationed for the supply of drinking water.

Senior medical officer Dr TP Singh, who has been appointed

as a nodal officer after the outbreak, told Hindustan Times, “Till Monday, 390 patients were found diarrhoea-affected out of which, 130 were admitted to the civil hospital.”

He said population of 7,000 in these four wards has been covered five times by the health teams.

“Around 25,000 chlorine tablets and 4,000 ORS packets have been delivered to the people,” he said.

“Earlier, there was a rush of patients in the civil hospital but now, it has come down sharply,” the senior medical officer added.

The report of other seven samples sent for cholera is yet to come, he added.

The administration has already announced free-medical treatment for all diarrhoea patients at the Phillaur civil hospital after deputy commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma visited the epidemic-affected areas.