Surge in diarrhoea, cholera in Hoshiarpur; 2 deaths reported
HOSHIARPUR: Two diarrhoea deaths were reported on Monday and 18 other people have tested positive for cholera here. With this, the number of patients being treated for diarrhoea at the local civil hospital has gone up to 140, from 84 on Sunday.
Among the deceased are a 25-year-old woman of Kamalpur Colony and a 50-year-old man from Milap Nagar.
District epidemiologist Dr Sailesh Kumar said that the woman, who was earlier admitted to a private hospital, was brought dead to the civil hospital on Monday morning. He confirmed that 18 patients have tested positive for cholera while samples of another 54 are being examined.
Seven of the cholera patients belong to the worst-hit area, Kamalpur Colony, where the health department and municipal corporation officials detected mixing of potable water with sewage. Eights others detected with cholera belong to Labh Nagar, Tulsi Nagar, Subhash Nagar, Railway Mandi, Indira Colony and Ram Colony Camp, he added.
Taking cognisance, a district health team visited the hospital and collected data of patients affected with diarrhoea, cholera and other viral diseases.
With hospital staff struggled to handle the flow of diarrhoea patients, and beds being in short supply, multiple patients were put on one bed. Cots were set up in the emergency wing corridor and in the special ward for such patients.
People accused the municipal corporation of supplying polluted water to the residents. On Monday, survey teams of health department and the corporation detected many illegal water connections in the affected areas. No checking was, however, done on vendors selling eatables who have installed ‘kundi’ connections to get water to prepare food and wash utensils. More localities were covered by the health teams to distribute ORS packets and chlorine tablets that were arranged by the health directorate on Sunday after intervention of minister Sunder Sham Arora.
The MC also started supplying chlorinated water in the affected areas through tankers. MC commissioner Balbir Raj said the prime concern at the moment is how to control the situation. “Subsequently we will check faulty water supply connections and take action wherever required,” he said.
Civil surgeon Dr Renu Sood visited the areas and educated people about preventive measures.
Former Union minister Santosh Chowdhary too met patients in the hospital.
NUMBER OF PATIENTS BEING TREATED FOR DIARRHOEA AT LOCAL CIVIL HOSPITAL HAS GONE UP TO 140