Rapid response team visits Hamirpur’s diarrhoea-hit area

Hamirpur, March 13

Over 400 persons have been affected due to the diarrhoea outbreak in Tauni Devi area of the district so far. This was reported in the health bulletin of the Health Department here today. A Rapid Response Team from the Directorate of Health had arrived here yesterday. The team visited the affected area and collected water samples from various sources in the area.

Chief Medical Officer Dr RK Agnihotri said there were only 76 infected patients in the area and others had recovered. He said only five patients were admitted at the hospital, while 71 others were being treated at home. A total of 27 villages of 13 gram panchayats — Bari Mandir, Utpur, Gwardu, Narsin, Charian-di-Dhar, Neri, Pahunj, Patnaun, Uhal, Drogan-pati-Kot, Lag-Kadiar, Tapre and Sikander Nuhara — were affected in the outbreak.

The Rapid Response Team, constituted by the Health Directorate, included Deputy Director Dr Yashvant Ranta, Prof Kiran Mokta from Microbiology Department of IGMC Shimla, Dr Anurag Patti from Department of Medicine and Parikshit Lab technician of medical college here. The samples were sent to Shimla for testing.

Despite collecting and sending water samples to the medical college three days ago, there was no headway in identification of the cause of diarrhoea in Tauni Devi area of the district. The samples were sent to Dr Radhakrishanan Government Medical College here for testing.

CMO Dr RK Agnihotri said four water samples were sent for testing to the medical college. He added that once the reports would be available, it would be easy to identify the cause of diarrhoea outbreak.