Gastroenteritis refuses to abate,400 affected

Over 100 fresh patients reported to the various medical facilities on the third consecutive day today from the gastroenteritis-hit Punjabi Bagh as the whole locality has virtually fallen under the siege of the water-borne disease.

As many as 110 patients,65 of them suffering from diarrhoea,were reported at the camp today,according to Dr Gurjeet Singh,Senior Medical Officer of the Community Health Centre in Sahnewal,who is overseeing the medical care being provided to patients at the camp.

“Twenty patients were received with severe dehydration and many of them were referred to the Civil Hospital,” he said. Civil Surgeon Dr Maninderjeet Singh said 18 patients who were suffering from severe dehydration and were in a bad condition were taken to the Civil Hospital.

He,however,added the number of the patients pouring in at the medical camp showed a decreasing trend towards the evening. “There was a large inflow of patients till morning but the number was decreasing towards the evening and we are expecting the situation will subside by tomorrow,” he said.

In order to control the situation,the Health department has constituted medical teams which are conducting door-to-door visits to spread awareness about the disease,distribute chlorine medicines and ORS packs,and also warn the residents against drinking contaminated water.

The doctors based at the medical camp at Gurmat Gyan Missionary College premises were also working day in and day out to treat the patients trickling in at the makeshift arrangement.

The Municipal Corporation has been snapping illegal water connections in the area which are suspected to have led to mixing of water of the public water supply system with the sewerage pipes following incessant rains in the last days of July.

The area residents say many families in most of the vehras are suffering from the disease. Tarsem Lal,an area resident,said almost everywhere in the locality the people were suffering from diarrhoea.

“The water supply in the last few days has not been proper and that has led to the disease outbreak,” he said.