Phagwara, October 23
A 52-year-old woman died at a Jalandhar hospital after a large number of gastroenteritis cases were reported from three localities here last night.
Armitri Devi, a resident of Shiv Puri, was admitted to the local Civil Hospital and later referred to Jalandhar, where she died.
More than 30 patients are being treated at different hospitals in and around Phagwara. As many as 100 persons, including women and children, have taken ill following the outbreak in Sham Nagar, Pipa-Rangi and Shiv Puri localities here since Tuesday.
The patients were admitted to the local Civil Hospital, besides other health facilities here.
Teams of the Health Department led by Senior Medical Officer Lehmber Ram and microbiologist Dr Ramanpreet Kaur visited the localities and took eight stool and six water samples.
The SMO said many patients had been referred to Jalandhar due to their serious condition. The authorities suspect mixing of water with sewage following a leak in pipeline.
SDM Kulpreet Singh instructed health officials to take care of the patients and instructed the water supply officers to check for any leaks.
Meanwhile, a health team has collected water samples from hand pumps installed on residential premises and sent these for testing. A medical camp had been set up and teams were distributing ORS packets and medicines to affected patients.
The SMO said the situation was under control and there was no need to panic. — OC
Gastro outbreak in Phagwara, 1 dead
{$excerpt:n}
