18 taken ill after gastro outbreak in Baijnath

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Palampur, May 16

Eighteen cases of gastroenteritis have been reported from Baijnath and surrounding areas in the past 24 hours. The patients, mostly schoolchildren, have been admitted to the Baijnath Civil Hospital.

Baijnath Block Medical Officer Dilawar Singh said all the patients were recovering. Maintaining that contaminated water could be the cause behind the gastro outbreak, he said a team of the Jal Shakti and Health Departments had sent water samples collected from different schools for chemical analysis. The officials have also inspected water sources.

Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, Rahul Dhiman said he had ordered for chlorination of water tanks.

Ruling out the possibility of water contamination, he said the department tanks were cleaned two months back. Besides, the department was taking all precautions like regular chlorination of water sources and storage tanks, he added.

He said as hundreds of residents were getting water from the same supply schemes and only 18 schoolchildren were affected by gastroenteritis, there could be a possibility contamination in water tanks of the schools.

Dhiman said he had deputed a team to inspect the water tanks in all the schools. As per lab reports received today, the water from IPH tanks was safe for drinking, he said adding that the situation was under control now.

Baijnath MLA Kishori Lal, who is also Chief Parliamentary Secretary, visited the patients in the Civil Hospital today. He directed the Health Department officials to provide free medical treatment to all the gastro patients.