ASHISHPURI July27,Kapurthala:
In the wake of recent garbage pile-ups due to the municipal workers' strike, reports have emerged of diarrhea spreading in some areas of Kapurthala. Over the past three days, 53 patients suffering from diarrhea have been admitted to the civil hospital. It has also been reported that a woman and a 4-year-old child have died under suspicious circumstances due to this illness.
Confirming the 53 cases of diarrhea, Civil Surgeon Dr. Surinderpal Kaur stated that currently, only five patients with diarrhea are admitted, and they are receiving treatment. The remaining patients have been discharged after treatment. Meanwhile, teams from the health department and the municipal corporation are conducting water quality checks in the affected areas.
The civil surgeon added that water is being supplied to the affected areas by tankers from the health department's team. Water samples from the affected areas have also been sent to the laboratory for testing. She further stated that so far, one woman has died from diarrhea. However, the recent death of a 4-year-old child is under investigation to determine if it was caused by diarrhea or another reason.
Following the outbreak of diarrhea in some parts of the city, the district administration has become active. The deputy commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal held a meeting with the civil surgeon and doctors, issuing directives to control the disease as soon as possible. SMO Dr. Sandeep Dhawan said it is believed that rainwater mixed with garbage in areas like Bakkar Khana Chowk, Mehtabgarh, Sundar Nagar, and Mehandi Chowk, contaminating household taps, which led to the spread of diarrhea.
On the other hand, according to Municipal Commissioner Anupam Kaler, garbage has been lifted from the mentioned areas. The water supply has been stopped, and drinking water tankers have been sent. Water samples have been taken from several houses in the four neighborhoods.
According to information, patients started being admitted to the civil hospital for treatment of diarrhea suddenly over the past three days. Some patients were treated in the emergency room, while others were shifted to the ward. Patients with diarrhea came from Bakkar Khana Chowk, Mehtabgarh, Sundar Nagar, and Mehandi Chowk. Among them, Rajinder Kaur, Rajwant Kaur, Manjeet Kaur, Nisha, Harpreet Kaur, Kulwinder Kaur, and Gurpreet Singh were in critical condition but are now improving.
Civil Surgeon Dr. Surinderpal Kaur confirmed that 53 patients have been identified with diarrhea so far. Currently, only five patients are still admitted and receiving treatment, and their condition is also much better. They are expected to be discharged by Saturday evening.
Dr. Surinderpal Kaur also mentioned that a woman who had been suffering from diarrhea was admitted to the civil hospital in the past few days. She had been self-medicating with medicines from a medical store, but her condition worsened, prompting her family to bring her to the civil hospital, where she died during treatment. Additionally, the suspicious death of a 4-year-old child from a neighborhood near Sundar Nagar is under investigation to determine the cause.