Zirakpur: 60 more cases of diarrhoea reported in Dhakoli

Zirakpur, September 18

As many as 60 fresh cases of diarrhoea were reported and 20 patients hospitalised from the Dhakoli area in Zirakpur today.

“The Health Department today took five samples from different localities in Dhakoli to ascertain water contamination. The reports are expected in a day or two,” said Dr Adarshpal Kaur, Civil Surgeon, Mohali. Sukhna Enclave in Dhakoli has reported a maximum number of cases. The department has set up a medical camp at Urban Primary Health Centre in Zirakpur.

Municipal Council officials said the water supply in the area had been cut off. Water tankers have been stationed at various places to provide potable water to residents. There has been more than 300 cases of diarrhoea-like symptoms in the Zirakpur area in the past one month. With new cases emerging every day, the health care centres are struggling to attend to the patients. “The Community Health Centre in Dhakoli has limited resources to take care of the increasing patient load. A few patients have to be admitted to the Dera Bassi Civil Hospital,” said local residents.

The 30-bed centre in Dhakoli was to be upgraded to 100-bed sub-divisional hospital. An announcement in this regard was made by Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu in January this year. However, the infrastructure has not been fully upgraded yet.

The local residents are forced to go to the Civil Hospital, Panchkula, the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, Chandigarh, and private hospitals for their treatment. —TNS