Agra, 2017.05.20 (Anuja Jaiswal, TNN): In a suspected outbreak of diarrhoea in Mat and Surir villages of Mathura, 9 children, between the age group of one and a half years to 12 years, and a 30-year-old woman have died in the last three days and over 150 have been admitted to hospitals.
Though no deaths were reported on Saturday, local administration have launched preventive steps to control further outbreak of diarrhoea in these and neighbouring villages.
Talking to TOI, Chief Medical Officer, RK Nayyar said that they have received reports of 10 diarrhoea-related deaths, including that of a 30-year-old woman, from the villages but no deaths have occurred in any of the government health centres or hospitals. He said, “We are working to find out cause of deaths but he admitted that there has been a suspected diarrhoea outbreak in about 22 villages in Surir, Mat and Naujheel areas”.
He said 9 teams of doctors have been formed and they are visiting these affected villages and so far 150 people have been admitted in the hospital. He said presently 40 were still undergoing treatment.
Nayyar said samples of water were collected on Friday, after the first death was reported, and sent to Agra SN Medical College laboratory for culture. He said stool samples of patients have also been sent to Agra on Saturday and the state epidemiologist and microbiologist from Lucknow have also visited the villages.
Dr Karan Singh, Pradhan husband of Ohawa village in Surir area, where two deaths have been reported, said that one and a half year old Upasna Jatav and 11-year-old Jyoti Khateek had died two days back on May 18. He said since the financial condition of the parents of the two children was not good, they delayed matters and took them to hospital only when their condition had deteriorated.
Shailendra Singh, a farmer who runs a NGO in village Deragaon told TOI that a 12-year-old Sonu balmiki died a couple of days back. He was not well but his parents were treating him at home only and he died. He said there are lots of problems in the village including non-availability of wash rooms and even the water supply is not good. He said even the water from hand pumps is dirty and salty.
Singh said the health department team visited the village and distributed medicines, besides advising people some precautionary measures.
Talking to TOI, District Magistrate, Mathura, Arvind Malappa Banagari said that the administration was taking all precautionary measures to prevent further spread of diarrhoea and for the treatment of the patients. He said besides distribution of medicines, the teams are advising the villagers to use boiled water and avoid consumption of cut fruits and ice creams, made by substandard companies.
He said since majority of the causalities have taken place among the families of brick kiln workers, they are being advised not to use water from contaminated sources. He said, the Jal Nigam has been instructed to see that pumps discharging sub-standard water are stopped immediately and food inspectors have been instructed to shut these open makeshift shops and rehris and icecream vendors.
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