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Jaundice spreads to 10 Hamirpur villages, 44 people infected
The affected villages fall under panchayats of Kot, Sarahkad, Bharanang and Khyah; first case was reported on June 26 said officials
As many as 44 people are suffering from diarrhoea following the spread of jaundice in 10 villages of Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Friday.
The affected villages fall under panchayats of Kot, Sarahkad, Bharanang and Khyah. “The first case was reported on June 26 and since then, the numbers are increasing,” added officials.
Sarahkad panchayat head Poonam said that 16 people are affected by jaundice in her panchayat. She added that awareness is being created about the symptoms and prevention of the disease.
As per officials, multiple teams of the health department are screening people and the numbers are expected to rise further. Officials said that majority of those infected are being treated at home.
Meanwhile, the Jal Shakti department maintained that no contamination was found in samples of drinking water taken in the past two days. The reports of blood samples of patients taken by the health department are still awaited.
Deputy commissioner Hemraj Bairwa instructed the officials of the department to train the field staff regarding proper use of bleaching powder and chlorination in water bodies.
He also instructed them to explore the possibilities of gaseous chlorination in the drinking water schemes of the district and called for arranging system within 15 days for the drinking water of Sarahkar-Kot area.
The DC further said that along with community health and ASHA workers, co-operation of local panchayat representatives can also be sought to create awareness. He asserted that there should be adequate supply of medicines and other essential materials as well as chlorine tablets related to water borne diseases in the field. Apart from this, regular sampling and testing of drinking water should be ensured, he said.
In January, over 1,000 people in 50 villages of Nadaun sub-division of Hamirpur suffered from diarrhoea following the outbreak of water-borne diseases.
