Poor sanitation leads to rise in diarrhoea cases

The first monsoon showers have led to a spurt in diarrhoea cases in the city, doctors said. According to private and government hospitals, about eight such cases, along with complaints of gastroenteritis and vomiting, are being reported daily.

The first monsoon showers have led to a spurt in diarrhoea cases in the city, doctors said. According to private and government hospitals, about eight such cases, along with complaints of gastroenteritis and vomiting, are being reported daily.

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“The number of patients suffering from water-borne diseases has increased in the past 10 days. We see about 10 patients every day, out of which eight are admitted. These are mostly residents of Sector 14 and areas near the railway tracks where sanitation is a major issue,” said Dr Rakesh Kumar, medical officer, Gurgaon Civil Hospital.

The situation is no different in New Gurgaon.

Doctors at multi-specialty hospitals here said about six patients are being admitted every day with complaints like diarrhoea .

“On Tuesday, we admitted three patients. On an average, we admit five to six cases of acute diarrhoea every day. Most of these patients are young professionals who travel a lot and eat food outside,” said Dr Satish Kaul, consultant internal physician at Columbia Asia hospital.

Doctors attribute the spread of diseases just three days after the first showers to the city’s poor sanitation system. Many residential sectors of Gurgaon remained waterlogged a day after the first showers on June 15.

“Overflowing sewerage leads to mixing of contaminated water with drinking water. Moreover, cracks in pipes due to lack of maintenance also compounds the problem,” said Dr Rajiv Dang, senior consultant of internal medicine at Max Healthcare. The hospital has been witnessing an about 12 cases of diarrhoea daily.

Experts say the situation is likely to worsen in the coming days with more rainfall.

“This is just the start. If this is the case after the first showers, there lies a huge challenge for hospitals in the days to come. The numbers will certainly increase as viral diseases will spread amid high humidity,” said Dr Sanjay Narula, senior medical officer, Gurgaon Civil Hospital.