Shivani BhakooLudhiana, July 2
The tall claims by the Health Department of being fully prepared to deal with all kinds of health problems arising out of the rainy season notwithstanding, there has been a spurt of gastroenteritis and cholera cases in the city during the past few days.
There has been no check on the growing number of cases despite the ‘massive health awareness campaigns and rallies’ organised by the department and a number of gastro patients, a regular feature during every monsoon, continues to swell.
Dr Sandeep Puri, Medical Superintendent, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, said 24 gastro patients were admitted to the hospital last month. He said two or three cholera cases were also reported in the hospital.
Dr Puri said “Overflowing sewerage lines, stagnant water, contaminated water and garbage are the causes behind the disease. People should drink filtered or boiled water. Open eatables exposed to flies and mosquitos should not be consumed at all”, he added.
Dr Sanjay Chand of Christian Medical College and Hospital said the hospital OPD received eight to nine gastro patients every week. He said because of poor sanitation in the city, there had been a steep rise in the inflow of such patients. He also said if preventive measures by the authorities concerned were not taken there could be an epidemic of gastro cases.
Residents of some colonies, when contacted, said the Health Department had not taken any preventive measure. Mr Satnam Singh, a resident of Civil Lines, said, “The administration has not sprayed any disinfectant in the locality”.
Rehman, an artisan in New Kundanpuri, complained, “The condition of roads are miserable where water accumulates and along with slush and garbage in the area mixes with drinking water as a result of which children who play in that atmosphere get infected very easily”.
Dr Gursharan Singh, president of the district unit of the Indian Medical Association, said that three to four gastro patients were admitted to his clinic daily. He said, “Polluted environment is responsible for the increase in number of patients suffering from different ailments.” He said such patients often complained of acute pain in the abdomen with diarrhoea and vomiting. He said the cost of treatment of such acute cases ranged between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per day.
Meanwhile, Dr Rajinder Kaur, Civil Surgeon, when contacted, said, “There are some reports of gastro cases in private clinics, but there is no threat of any epidemic”.
