12 suspected diarrhoea cases surface in Dhakoli

Gaurav Kanthwal

Tribune News Service

Zirakpur, September 17

After an outbreak of cholera in Baltana and Peermuchalla, the Dhakoli area in Zirakpur is now seeing several cases of patients with diarrhoea-like symptoms. Twelve cases were reported from Sukhna Enclave in Dhakoli today.

Five patients had complained of diarrhoea-like symptoms yesterday following which a team of the Health Department began a survey today. “The situation in Peermuchalla is under control now. We have stationed a team at Sukhna Enclave in Dhakoli to provide immediate medical treatment to the patients, said Dr Adarshpal Kaur, Civil Surgeon, Mohali. At present, close to 20 patients are undergoing treatment at the Dhakoli Community Health Centre (CHC) alone. Officials said 230 houses had been surveyed in the locality and 54 patients complained of diarrhoea-like symptoms. Besides a medical examination, health officials have distributed more than 200 ORS packets.

Zirakpur Municipal Council officials said regular chlorination was being done at water sources. The water supply of individual submersible pumps, which failed the potability test, had been cut off. They were being provided water through tankers. Leakages in water supply pipelines, faulty connections in submersible pumps and waterlogging after rain have exacerbated the risk of water contamination and water-borne diseases in the area.

More than 250 cases of diarrhoea/cholera have been reported from the Zirakpur area in the past one month. Residents have been seeking medical treatment at Dhakoli, Dera Bassi, Panchkula and Chandigarh. Many are undergoing treatment at private hospitals and clinics in the tricity.