Diarrhoea claims 3 lives in Amritsar village
Civil surgeon Dr Kirandeep Kaur, who visited the village on Monday, told mediapersons that two of the deaths were caused by acute diarrhoea and vomiting, while the third person had underlying liver issues. One of the victims was a woman.
The civil surgeon said they have begun collecting water samples for testing. "While the tests typically take five days, we are expediting the process and hope to receive results within two days," she said.
"Residents have complained of a foul smell in the water. We've called in the sanitation department and instructed immediate chlorination of water tanks," she added.
The civil surgeon said that her team distributed oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc tablets to affected residents and advised anyone experiencing symptoms of diarrhoea or loose motion to begin ORS treatment immediately. "We're conducting a door-to-door survey to identify those with symptoms so they can receive timely medical attention," she added.
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To investigate the source of contamination, the civil surgeon directed the sanitary executive engineer (XEN) to inspect the area for possible damage to pipelines. "Sometimes pipelines get damaged due to external pressure, such as vehicles driving over them, which can lead to sewage mixing with the water supply," she explained.
However, Sarjan Singh Fauji, a local resident, alleged that despite a formal complaint, no officials from the health department had visited the village earlier. "Only after coverage in media, the local administration woke up," he added.
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