Flood-affected villagers stare at outbreak of water-borne diseases

With continuous rise in water level of the Sutlej, flood-hit villagers are staring at outbreak of water-borne diseases in Ferozepur district.

So far, 4,200 people, including women and children, have been treated at OPDs set up by the Health Department in the border villages, with most of them suffering from diarrhoea, skin related ailments and hypertension. Of these, serious patients have been referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot.

Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said 160 medical teams had been deputed on the ground to provide health services to flood-affected people. The DC said the teams had been equippped with all types of medicines, besides ambulances and emergency kits.

“Two expectant mothers—Manjit Kaur of Tendi Wala and Manpreet Kaur of Kaluwala—were rescued from flood-hit areas and safely shifted to the Ferozepur Civil Hospital. They delivered babies under medical supervision,” said Sharma, adding that adequate care was being taken of elderly people, besides cattlestock.

Manjit of Tendi Wala said her family was deeply worried about the delivery amid floods. “We had no idea how we would reach hospital in these conditions. However, the help arrived in time and gave us a new lease of life,” she said.

At Bandala village, 73-year-old Manjit Kaur, a hypertension patient, fell seriously ill after her house was inundated and crops destroyed. She along with six others have been admitted to the hospital.

Chief Medical Officer Rajwinder Kaur said the Health Department had been working round the clock, running special medical camps and ensuring timely treatment to those in need. Even the Army and BSF have set up medical camps, much to the relief of the people.

138 docs deputed before formal appointment

Responding to the urgent need for medical aid in flood-affected areas, the state government has deployed 138 newly recruited doctors on 15-day emergency duty even before issuing them formal appointment letters.

These doctors are part of a pool of nearly 1,000 candidates who cleared the recruitment test conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences on June 3. They were shortlisted on merit, and their documents were verified by the university on July 4. The CM was to give them the appointment letters on Monday, but the event was cancelled late last night. Health Department Principal Secretary Kumar Rahul direcetd the doctors to report to civil surgeons in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur.