Daijiworld Media Network - Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar, Jan 4: More than 100 suspected cases of typhoid have been reported in Gandhinagar over the past few days, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Saturday.
According to PTI, Sanghavi reviewed the situation at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital after 104 patients were admitted to the paediatric ward in recent days. Following the visit, he told reporters that senior officials, including the deputy collector, have been directed to assess the situation at the hospital. Arrangements for food and other basic facilities have also been made for the families of admitted patients.
Sanghavi said a team of 22 doctors has been formed to treat the patients. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also discussed the situation with district collector Mehul Dave.
“At present, 104 suspected cases have been reported. The administration is continuously strengthening treatment and monitoring arrangements. Efforts are ongoing to provide better facilities to patients and their families,” the deputy chief minister said.
PTI quoted Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Mita Parikh as saying that several patients, including children from Sectors 24, 25, 26 and 28, as well as the Adivada area in Gandhinagar, have been admitted. She added that their condition is stable.
Dr Parikh said water samples collected from the affected areas confirmed that the drinking water was not safe for consumption. “People have been advised to drink boiled water and consume home-cooked food. The civic body is also distributing chlorine tablets for cleaning water tanks,” officials from the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation health department said.
According to a report by The Times of India, health officials have identified at least seven leaks in the pipeline network, which allowed sewage to mix with the drinking water supply. This has occurred despite a Rs 257-crore investment in a 24x7 water supply project.
Engineering officials said the new pipelines were laid close to sewer lines. A district collectorate officer said contamination becomes inevitable when leakages occur near sewer lines. “Engineering teams have begun super-chlorination,” the officer said.
Municipal Commissioner J N Vaghela said the administration is hopeful of containing the outbreak within a day or two through intensive super-chlorination measures.