Hoshiarpur, June 11
As many as 474 gastroenteritis cases have been reported from this home district of the Punjab Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Chander Dogra. Of these, about 450 cases have been reported from the city alone.
Though officially no one has died of gastroenteritis in the district so far, Health Department sources admit privately that five persons are suspected to have died of the disease during the past two weeks.
While ground 400 cases have been reported from government hospitals, the remaining patients are admitted to private hospitals.
Outside Hoshiarpur city, three cases have been reported from Tanda, two from Hazipur, five from Garshankar and three from Dasuya in government hospitals.
The presence of such a large number of gastroenteritis patients in the city reveals the shoddy state of sanitation here. Four of the eight water samples, collected at random by the Health Department authorities have failed the test. Besides, water of a number of localities, including Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar, Roshan Grounds and Bassi Khwaju has been found to be unfit for human consumption. Interestingly the municipal committee has not installed chlorinators at any of its 52 tubewells in the city so far.
When The Tribune team visited the Civil Hospital today, 105 gastroenteritis patients were found admitted there. Over 15 patients had been discharged in the morning.
Unhygienic conditions were prevailing on the hospital premises. Rooms
were untidy and stinking for lack of proper ventilation, garbage was littered at corners and water had accumulated at certain places. “Most of the patients are migrant labourers who live in slum areas, where potable water is not available, maintained the hospital staff.
Dr Sardool Singh, District Epidemiologist, said the civic authorities had been informed that four water samples had failed the test. “The civic body had been asked to inform us about steps taken by it within two days, but we have not got any report so far,” said Dr Sardool Singh.
According to Dr V.C. Makran, Civil Surgeon, as a precautionary measure about 12 lakh chlorine tablets have been purchased by the district health authorities for purification of water apart from 300 litres of hypo-chloride solution. “We are distributing literature among people to create awareness among them about the steps to be taken by them to keep the disease at bay.”
Dr Ajay Bagga, a spokesman for the PCMS Association, advised people to use boiled water for drinking.
Five persons, including Navin and Amit, both from Mehngrowal, and Jagiro, a 45-year-old woman from Naru Nangal, are suspected to have died of gastroenteritis between May 31 and June 4.
