Dropsy claims two more lives
Tribune News Service and agencies

NEW DELHI, Aug 29 — Six more states today banned the sale of mustard oil and cautioned people against its use as the dreaded dropsy claimed two more lives in the national Capital, where 200 fresh cases were reported since last evening.

Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur today joined several states in banning the sale of the cooking medium in the wake of a nationwide alert.

Even though the Delhi Police claimed to have arrested the prime suspect’s partner, Pawan Kumar, number of admissions into various hospitals due to intake of adulterated mustard oil continued to grow.

Minister of Health in the Delhi government, Dr Harsh Vardhan told newspersons here today that in the past 24 hours, two deaths were reported from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital. He said that 200 persons had been admitted into various city hospitals with symptoms of dropsy.

The Health Minister appealed to the consumers to use other oils till the situation returned to normal. He asked the consumers to report any illegal activity in the supply of mustard oil to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Department of the Delhi government. He added that so far, the PFA had received 244 complaints of this nature.

He said that the designated PFA court in Patiala House had isssued non-bailable warrants against 13 shopkeepers on the charge of contaminating mustard oil.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said that at present, about 450 persons with symptoms of dropsy were under treatment in various hospitals in the Capital. He said that 150 persons had been discharged in the past 24 hours.

The Medical Superintendent of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital, Dr R.M. Baishya told The Tribune that 116 more persons had been admitted into the hospital for the treatment of dropsy. He said that the total number of dropsy patients in DDU at present was 226.

Dr Baishya said that of the 428 persons admitted into DDU since August 6, 116 had been discharged while 80 had left the hospital against medical advice.

The MS said that of the total number of dropsy patients in the DDU at present, only three to four were serious and needed constant observation. He said that 90 per cent of the patients were adults from Dadri, Sagarpur, Najafgarh and Papan Kalan.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said that medical superintendents of all hospitals had been directed to create extra wards to accommodate dropsy patients. "We have asked all MS not to take any risk and allow such patients to overstay in the safe zone," he said.

Terming the sudden adulteration in mustard oil an "oragnanised conspiracy," the Health Minister said, "We will not allow any sealed or loose brand to be sold till its purity is established."

He said that according to police investigations, Kamal Kumar Aggarwal’s group had been selling contaminated oil in the Paharganj area besides East, South and South West Delhi.

The Health Minister said that the government had ordered that leave of all PFA staff stands cancelled till tests were completed. He said that the staff had been directed to complete testing of all samples of mustard oil within five days. He added that a team of scientists from the Indian Toxicological Research Institute, Lucknow had arrived to assist the PFA in conducting tests of contaminated samples, quickly.

Dr Harsh Vardhan told newspersons that so far, 187 samples of contaminated mustard oil had been collected from various parts of the city.

He said that none of the 41 samples of mustard oil taken by the team from the Prevention of Food Adulteration Department of the Delhi government had tested positive. He was unable to say whether these samples included the contaminated brands like Vande Mataram, Ekta, Laxmi, Tiranga, Vandev, Haathi, Kanodia, Scooter, Parivar, Dhara, Jumbo and Kohinoor.

Asked whether the PFA had lifted samples from the Paharganj, East, South and South-West Delhi, Dr Harsh Vardhan said, "The samples are lifted at random."

He said that his government had taken very serious congnisance of the dropsy epidemic. "We have suggested to the Central government that death sentence be given in cases where contamination is proved. This would act as a deterrent," Dr Harsh Vardhan said.

He said that all retailers had been directed to declare their stocks of mustard oil and not sell them till the ban was lifted and the stocks cleared through the official channel. Dr Harsh Vardhan said that his government would strengthen the PFA as soon as it was given a licence by the Central government.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President, Mrs Sheila Dixit, lashed out at the State government for its failure in checking the outbreak of dropsy in the Capital.

Denying such allegations, the Health Minister said that his government had worked very hard and sincerely to check the outbreak of dropsy.