Punjab: Typhoid, Cholera, other water related diseases

[Ronan Kelly]

Diseases grip Zirakpur village, 200 taken ill
Express News Service Posted online: Sat May 15 2010, 01:05 hrs
Zirakpur : An epidemic seems to have gripped Lohgarh village, falling under Ward 6 of the Zirakpur Municipal Council, with at least 200 inhabitants taken ill.
The health department has confirmed 50 cases of typhoid. The locals are also suffering from cholera, diarrhoea, jaundice and other viral and water-borne diseases.

Taking cognizance of the situation, the health department on Friday held a camp in the village, where of the total 175 persons examined, 50 were diagnosed with typhoid, while more than 100 were either suffering from diarrhoea, cholera and jaundice.

Apart from those who turned up at the camp, many patients are already under treatment at PGIMER, Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, and some private clinics in the area.

As per estimates, nearly 80 per cent of the slumdwellers are suffering from some disease.Residents of the village had complained of receiving contaminated water for the past many days but no action was taken.

N K Sharma, chairman of the Mohali District Planning Committee, and the president of the Zirakpur Municipal Council, is a resident of the same village, from where he is a councillor.

However, Zirakpur Municipal Council Executive Officer S J Sharma claimed that the water supplied to the village was safe for drinking. He suspected some leakage in the pipeline.

He added that investigations were under way to check the quality of water being supplied and appropriate measures will be taken accordingly.

Dr Rajeev Bhalla, senior medical officer at the Dera Bassi Civil Hospital said door-to-door health check-ups were being conducted and chlorine tablets were distributed to the villagers.

Water samples from different sources have been sent for testing, the reports of which are awaited, added Bhalla.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/619125/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Punjab: Typhoid outbreak, other water related diseases

Re: Punjab: Typhoid outbreak, other water related diseases

Water-borne diseases claim two lives
Raakhi Jagga

Posted: Tue Jul 20 2010, 01:34 hrs
Ludhiana:

Three-year-old Tanisha died of severe gastroenritis in Subash Nagar on Sunday night. With this, the toll in this colony has touched two. Last week, an eight-year-old boy also died of gastroenteritis in the same colony.


Apart from this, nearly 42 patients suffering from gastroenteritis and diarrhoea have been admitted in various city hospitals. Of these, 15 patients are from Subash Nagar only, while rest are from Salem Tabri, Punit Nagar and Shankerpuri. More than 100 patients have also taken medicine on OPD basis as well from private clinics.

District health officer (DHO) Dr Daljit Singh Kochar, however, said only 36 patients have been admitted in different hospitals and 82 have taken medicine on OPD basis. He also claimed that situation was under control.


So far, the Health department has not confirmed the death of patients. It has, however, indicated that poor water supply by the MC is the main reason for the outbreak. The Health team has even taken ten water samples from different colonies.

Defending the corporation, MC spokesperson said the water supply was upto the mark and illegal connections by residents were the main problem. Passing the buck to residents, MC executive engineer Kamlesh Bansal said he has already disconnected five illegal connections in Subash Nagar. He said Punit Nagar and Shanker Puri were illegal colonies and residents themselves had connected the water supply lines to their houses by laying rubber pipes.


Bansal said, ?I disconnected four rubber pipe connections in Punit Nagar and two in Shanker Puri. The residents connect their lines to our main water supply and we are helpless.? He said he cannot disconnect all connections of these illegal colonies on humanitarian grounds.


Meanwhile, two water tankers are being sent to Subash Nagar round-the-clock, he said. The Health Department has also set up a check-up camp in the area and are distributing chlorine tablets and ORS packets to residents.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/waterborne-diseases-claim-two-lives/648979/0

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Punjab: Typhoid outbreak, other water related diseases

Re: Punjab: Typhoid outbreak, other water related diseases

Another death due to gastro
Simran Virk, TNN, Jul 21, 2010, 08.45pm IST


LUDHIANA: With the third death being reported on the third consecutive day due to gastroenteritis, life seems to be coming cheap in the city. As 70 gastroenteritis cases were reported on Wednesday, the Ludhiana municipal corporation and health department do not seem to be paying much heed to the outbreak.

On Wednesday, with 45 cases being reported from New Subhash Nagar, the total stood at 70.

On Tuesday, a 30-year-old woman identified as Babli, a resident of New Subhash Nagar had died due to gastro. She had been suffering from acute diarrhoea since Monday.
This was the third death in three days whereas two children of same age had lost their lives due to diarrhoea earlier.

Poor sanitation and unclean potable water have led to increase in the number of gastro cases. The area stinks of rotting garbage, there is no provision of drinking water, pits are full of water and the blame game of both the department continues but no one cares how to improve this problem, which is prevailing in the city for last many years.

However, deputy commissioner Rahul Tewari held a meeting with MC officials and health authorities, during which where he gave directions to both the departments to work in coordination.

Talking to TOI, district health officer (DHO) Dr Daljeet Singh accepted that the cases were pouring in. But the main problem was that the sewerage water was getting mixed with potable water, which was the responsibility of the corporation.

The health department was rendering its services as their main work was to treat the poor. They were organizing camps on a regular basis in the affected area.

On being asked about the third death, the DHO added that the health department was trying to ascertain the reasons behind it.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Another-death-due-to-gastro/articleshow/6197394.cms

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Punjab: Typhoid outbreak, other water related diseases

Re: Punjab: Typhoid outbreak, other water related diseases

Chandan Nagar outbreak
It was cholera, say reports
Jalandhar, August 20
Detection of cases of cholera in the Chandan Nagar locality of Kartarpur has put the health authorities on tenterhooks again. Earlier, the death of a person near Nurmahal due to cholera had put the health authorities in a spot. Stool samples of the diarrhoea patients, collected by the health authorities after finding more than 20 cases of severe diarrhoea in Kartarpur on Tuesday, were tested positive today for the vibrio cholerae, a causative agent of cholera.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100821/jal.htm#

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Punjab: Typhoid, Cholera, other water related diseases

'Gastro' claims 7 lives, but no action yet
Simran Virk, TNN, Aug 27, 2010, 09.56pm IST

LUDHIANA: Aren't seven deaths reportedly due to gastroenteritis not enough to jolt authorities from their deep sleep and understand the gravity of the situation? However, the health authorities have not yet confirmed the number of deaths. Though health officials on Friday visited Sherpur area, from where the deaths were reported, water has not been chlorinated and sanitation department also hasn't come to residents' aid.

Besides seven deaths, around 200 people are down with gastroenteritis. Heaps of garbage, choked sewage, roads flooded with sewerage water and filthy smell? Welcome to Sherpur area. This story is repeated year after year, but administration comes into action only after the outbreak of some diseases. After it comes under control, nobody bothers to find out the root-cause of the problem.

A large part of land in front of houses is lying in bad shape. Nearly 100 people stay in about 20-25 small rooms with only one or two toilets for these families. The poor construction is also a reason for insanitation as there is hardly any provision for ventilation in these rooms, not to talk about proper sewerage lines.

Though health department have identified risk areas which include Giaspura, Daba road, Sherpur, New Shimla Puri, Kot Mangal Singh, Madhopuri, Salem Tabri, Amarpura, Issanagri, Aslam Ganj, Dhakka Colony, Dr Ambedkar Colony, nothing has been done in these areas.

This year till now, the health department has collected water samples from various high risk areas and most of the samples failed purity test. But even then authorities failed to act. According to reports by health department in the month of July, 164 water samples were collected out of which 144 samples failed tests.

Residents alleged that this is the most ignored part of the city as nobody bothers to keep a check on what is happening here. Despite reminders authorities do not take any action and wait for outbreak of the disease.

Brijesh Kumar, a resident, said the authorities only visit the place when a few deaths occur and municipal corporation as well as health department do nothing at all. He added that in every household at least two to three members are affected from gastroenteritis.

Echoing his views, Durgesh Yadav said despite reminders to municipal corporation no one has come to check the pipes and the area is just like garbage dump.

Dr GP Mangla, district epidemiologist, who visited the affected area said he will be compiling reports and then only the exact number of deaths could be confirmed.

Residents claimed that authorities were not bothered about cleanliness of the areas and till now chlorine tablets have not been distributed.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ion-yet/articleshow/6447128.cms#ixzz0xpx0uU00

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Punjab: Typhoid, Cholera, other water related diseases

One more dies of gastroenteritisLarger | Smaller Anupam Bhagria
Tags : roads, gastroenteritis

Posted: Wed Sep 01 2010, 01:30 hrs
Ludhiana:
A road at Sherpur in Ludhiana. Gurmeet Singh

Residents block road for four hours; death toll rises to 12

A migrant labourer died of gastroenteritis on Monday evening taking the toll to 12.

Heera Lal (26), a resident of Friends Colony at Sherpur, died at the civil hospital following which residents of the area blocked traffic at Dhandari-Sherpur road for about four hours. They blamed the hospital authorities for Lal?s death and alleged the district administration was doing little to contain the spread of the epidemic.



?Heera Lal was suffering from gastroenteritis for the last five days. Yesterday his condition deteriorated and his father took him to the hospital. He was given an injection and sent back. He wasn?t given proper medication and died in the evening,? said A N Mishra, national president of the All India Purvaanchal Vikas Parishad. The NGO spearheaded the protest. The protestors lifted the dharna after assurance from the Joint Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, A S Sekhon, that the cleanliness drive would be intensified and garbage dumps cleaned.

However, nothing changed on Tuesday. More than 500 patients suffering from gastroenteritis are under treatment in different city hospitals.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/One-more-dies-of-gastroenteritis/675648

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Punjab: Typhoid, Cholera, other water related diseases

Another gastro death at Sherpur Kalan
Simran, TNN, Sep 2, 2010, 10.49pm IST

LUDHIANA: The lackadaisical attitude being shown by municipal corporation and health authorities continue even as another death due to gastroenteritis was reported from Sherpur Kalan area on Thursday. However, the health department is denying the death.

The deceased was identified as Happy Singh, resident of ward number 14, who was undergoing treatment at civil hospital.

Around 20 new cases on an average are pouring in daily since the past one month. MC apathy can be gauged from the fact that in spite of the samples that had been collected by the health department failed the portability test, some of the sewerages are still choked.

National president of Purvanchal Vikas Parishad AN Mishra confirmed that the deceased was suffering from gastroenteritis.

Senior deputy mayor Praveen Bansal said he became aware of the death when he visited the area.

Feigning ignorance, district epidemologist Dr GP Mangla said he was unaware about any death reported in the area.

The health department is organizing awareness camps, he added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...r-Kalan/articleshow/6481652.cms#ixzz0yPfHyNkD

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Punjab: Typhoid, Cholera, other water related diseases

Gastro attack: boy dies in city
Express News Service


One more person died of gastroenteritis at a city hospital on Saturday. With this, the death toll in the city due to the disease has gone up to 13.



Happy Singh (16) was a resident of Sherpur Kalan, who was under treatment at Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, about 20 fresh cases of gastroenteritis have been reported in the city outskirts. These patients are under treatment in different hospitals.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gastro-attack-boy-dies-in-city/676933/