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Health department on alert to check cholera outbreak in tricity
Express News Service
Posted online: Friday, July 18, 2008 at 0205 hrs IST
Chandigarh, July 17
The UT Health department is focusing its attention on the residents of Mauli Jagran in Chandigarh after cholera claimed the life of a resident in Rajiv Colony in Panchkula this week.
Problems of garbage, stagnant and unfit drinking water prevail in Chandigarh, thus increasing the risk of an outbreak of the disease in the city.
A visit to Mauli Jagran and Colony No. 5, the biggest slum of the city, paints a grim picture that is conducive to the outbreak of this disease.
The slums were strewn with garbage and stagnant water at various places. At some places in Colony No.5, residents were seen drawing water from hand pumps, though the health officials claim that a stern check is kept on drawing water from them.
?We are keeping a close watch on the slums in Mauli Jagran and other places to check the outbreak of the disease. Cholera spreads where garbage is left to stand and stagnant water is not attended to,? said a health official.
Director Health Services, UT, Dr M S Bains, while talking to Newsline said, ?We have been carrying out awareness drives to control the spread of the disease. The problem of garbage and stagnant water exists in low lying areas after the rains.?
Meanwhile, the officials of the health department said that no fresh case of cholera has been reported from the city hospitals. The city so far has witnessed one case of cholera from Shahpur Colony. ?It was an outsation patient who had carried the infection from Jalandhar and had come to Chandigarh for a few days. Otherwise, we have not received any cases of cholera from within the city,? a health official said.
Last year, Chandigarh had witnessed 19 cases of cholera, mainly from the slum colonies or the nearby areas. Apart from maintaining hygiene and consumption of clean drinking water, doctors say that eating cut fruits from the roadside should be avoided as these can also lead to the outbreak of this disease.
Meanwhile, a massive combat drive was started in Panchkula with the intervention of Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan today. He directed the health officials to initiate a sanitation drive in the colony. Illegal water connections from the main water pipeline were found to be one of the reasons for the spread of the disease and it was decided to install 60 new water taps in the colony.
?Due to the illegal water connections, the drinking water comes loaded with germs, thus, leading the spread of the disease. A drive to cleanse the nullah has also been initiated,? said Chander Mohan.
Express News Service
Posted online: Friday, July 18, 2008 at 0205 hrs IST
Chandigarh, July 17
The UT Health department is focusing its attention on the residents of Mauli Jagran in Chandigarh after cholera claimed the life of a resident in Rajiv Colony in Panchkula this week.
Problems of garbage, stagnant and unfit drinking water prevail in Chandigarh, thus increasing the risk of an outbreak of the disease in the city.
A visit to Mauli Jagran and Colony No. 5, the biggest slum of the city, paints a grim picture that is conducive to the outbreak of this disease.
The slums were strewn with garbage and stagnant water at various places. At some places in Colony No.5, residents were seen drawing water from hand pumps, though the health officials claim that a stern check is kept on drawing water from them.
?We are keeping a close watch on the slums in Mauli Jagran and other places to check the outbreak of the disease. Cholera spreads where garbage is left to stand and stagnant water is not attended to,? said a health official.
Director Health Services, UT, Dr M S Bains, while talking to Newsline said, ?We have been carrying out awareness drives to control the spread of the disease. The problem of garbage and stagnant water exists in low lying areas after the rains.?
Meanwhile, the officials of the health department said that no fresh case of cholera has been reported from the city hospitals. The city so far has witnessed one case of cholera from Shahpur Colony. ?It was an outsation patient who had carried the infection from Jalandhar and had come to Chandigarh for a few days. Otherwise, we have not received any cases of cholera from within the city,? a health official said.
Last year, Chandigarh had witnessed 19 cases of cholera, mainly from the slum colonies or the nearby areas. Apart from maintaining hygiene and consumption of clean drinking water, doctors say that eating cut fruits from the roadside should be avoided as these can also lead to the outbreak of this disease.
Meanwhile, a massive combat drive was started in Panchkula with the intervention of Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan today. He directed the health officials to initiate a sanitation drive in the colony. Illegal water connections from the main water pipeline were found to be one of the reasons for the spread of the disease and it was decided to install 60 new water taps in the colony.
?Due to the illegal water connections, the drinking water comes loaded with germs, thus, leading the spread of the disease. A drive to cleanse the nullah has also been initiated,? said Chander Mohan.
