Eeerie silence over gastro deaths

JAITU: Though the district health administration claimed to be in full gear to cope with the spread of gastroenteritis in Jaitu and adjoining villages, it is yet to ascertain the actual cause of the epidemic which claimed seven lives within the last one week.
While Jaitu senior medical officer said that contaminated water could be the cause of the disease, the executive officer of Nagar Council claimed that the water samples taken by the health department from different localities of the town never failed.
The disease broke out in Hardial Nagar and Sukchainpura localities of Jaitu town and three nearby villages, Kasimbhatti, Chandbhan and Surghuri last week. The health authorities arose from deep slumber when hundreds of patients started thronging the Civil Hospital and private clinics at Jaitu. But till then it was too late as two patients died of the disease. Gurdialo (70) of Surghuri, Durga Devi of Sukhchainpura basti of Jaitu and an 18 year old youth of Chandbhan succumbed to the disease three days ago.
Only then the district health authorities took the matter seriously and constituted mobile teams to detect patients in affected areas and provide medicines. But till then Jeeto (65), Bhajan Kaur (60), Mukhtiar Kaur (70), all residents of Surghuri, and eight month old Pinki, daughter of Om Parkash of Sukchainpura Basti, fell prey to the epidemic.
Faridkot civil surgeon Rajinder Singh said that on May 9, 219 patients of suspected gastroenteritis visited the OPD of Civil Hospital, Jaitu. On May 10, a total of 257 patients were treated and on May 11, 85 patients approached the mobile teams of the health department by 1.30 pm, he said. Asked about the number of patients in private clinics, the civil surgeon said that the total figure was yet to be confirmed.
Faridkot deputy commissioner visited Jaitu on Tuesday to take stock of the situation. He inspected the Civil Hospital and asked the patients about the medical facilities provided to them. At the time of DC’s visit to the civil hospital 14 patients were admitted there. While the DC said that he was yet to verify about the number of deaths, the civil surgeon claimed that no death was caused due to the disease in the area.
The civil surgeon also claimed that the disease was under control but the residents of Surghuri village have another story to tell. Some residents of this village and three registered medical practitioners (RMPs) in the village said that at least 100 persons were still suffering from the disease.