After claiming 4-yr-old, diarrhoea cases begin spiking in Gurugram
Doctors at government hospitals claim they are treating an average of 14 serious cases each day
GURUGRAM: Water-borne diseases have started wreaking havoc in Gurugram this summer, and has even claimed the life of a four-year-old boy.
This, however, may only be the tip of the iceberg, as government hospitals in the city are being flooded patients suffering from microbial diseases.
Doctors at these hospitals claim they are treating an average of 14 serious cases each day.
“City hospitals are witnessing increasing number of patients affected by waterborne disease. We are tending to them with best possible effort, but the sudden spurt in number is a serious concern,” said a senior doctor.
Over 150 patients suffering from water-borne diseases visit the Civil Hospital on a daily basis. According to officials from the city health department, more cases are being reported from old Gurugram.
While minors and the elderly form a bulk of these patients, worryingly, a large number of infants are also being admitted.
Medical experts highlight that over 30 per cent cases are caused due to consumption of contaminated food and water.
“It is likely that if a patient is showing symptoms like vomiting, mild fever, body pain and blood in stools, they may be affected from microbial infections. In severe cases, a patient could also die due to dehydration and low blood pressure,” said a doctor serving in a Gurugram government hospital, who wished to remain anonymous.
“We advise most patients in these months to remain hydrated. Besides consumption of clean drinking water, other alternatives to remain hydrated include consuming lime juice, coconut water and dairy product,” he further said.
The seriousness of the situation came to fore last year when on a single day more than 20 patients from Om Vihar suffering from diarrhoea were admitted at the Civil Hospital. Among these was also a 20-year-old who succumbed to the disease.
Last year, diarrhoea affected more people in Gurugram than dengue, chikungunya and malaria combined.
This year has shown no signs of improvement, as the number of patients is slowly rising with the rise in mercury.
In March, a test carried out by the district health department revealed that lakhs of residents may be at risk of contracting water borne diseases.
Government agencies had collected 16 water samples from different parts of the city and observed that water supplied from the Civil Lines water boosting station is heavily contaminated.
Not only did officials find that the water had negligible amounts of chlorination, it was also revealed that the water had high levels of chemicals in it.
This could cause serious problems as the Civil Lines boosting station supplies water to over 10,000 households in the city.
Last year, a test revealed that water supplies for drinking in 174 areas of Gurugram was unfit for drinking.