Diarrhoea outbreak in Karnal village

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, August 9

In a diarrhoea outbreak at Kunjpura village of the district, nine fresh cases have been reported at the Community Health Centre (CHC), taking the total number of cases so far to 51. At present, 29 persons are hospitalised, while the remaining patients were discharged after treatment.

Water contaminated: Residents

Residents alleged that the cause of the diarrhoea outbreak was the consumption of contaminated drinking water. They said it could affect more people if timely measures were not taken.

OFFICIALS COLLECTING SAMPLES

Health Department officials claimed that they were trying to identify the source of disease. They have collected water samples, conducted health checkups and launched a drive to spread awareness.

Residents alleged that five persons had recently died due to diarrhoea. Though the Health Department hasn’t confirmed it, it has started an investigation into the deaths to determine the cause.

The residents alleged that the outbreak was due to the consumption of contaminated drinking water. They feared that it could become more dangerous if timely measures were not taken. “Several people have been infected with diarrhoea. Contaminated water is being supplied to our houses and after consuming the water, people have been infected,” said Amit, a resident.

Health officials claimed that they were working to contain the waterborne disease and identify its source. The Health Department has also initiated field activities, including collecting water samples, conducting health checkups and spreading awareness.

“We have constituted six teams to determine the reasons and are conducting door-to-door surveys for the health checkup of the general public. We are distributing oral rehydration solution (ORS) packets, along with halogen tablets for water purification,” said Dr Sandeep Abrol, Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at the CHC, Kunjpura.

He said the first case of diarrhoea was reported on August 5 and the number of cases has been increasing ever since. “So far, 51 patients have been treated at the CHC. Of these, 29 are at present admitted, while eight patients have been referred to Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) or the District Civil Hospital,” Dr Abrol said. He added that the CHC staff members, including doctors and paramedical staff, were working round the clock to take care of the patients. Additional staff were deputed from the district headquarters to the CHC, Kunjpura, to manage the increased patient load.

About the five deaths, Dr Abrol said investigations were being conducted into the five deaths. The causes of death could be different. “The exact causes are yet to be confirmed. We have started an investigation to determine whether they were caused by diarrhoea or other related complications,” he said.

Team members of the Public Health and Engineering Department have also been mobilised to check for any leaks in the pipeline. The chlorination levels in the water supply have been checked.

The situation has led to unrest in the village and the residents blocked a road in Kunjpura on Thursday to protest the lack of clean drinking water. The residents alleged that the water supplied to them was not adequately treated, leading to the spread of infection. They accused the authorities of negligence and were demanding immediate action to ensure the provision of safe and clean water.

“The authorities should take steps to control the situation,” said Pardeep Kumar, another resident.