Govt claims diarrhoea under control in Ambala Cantt.

Chandigarh, Sept 18 (UNI) Haryana Health Department has controlled the spread of diarrhoea in Ambala Cantt. and out of 203 patients hospitalised since the outbreak of the disease on September 14, as many as 142 patients have been discharged, a spokesman of Health Department said today.

He said that the Health Department has constituted 15 teams of health workers and two teams of mobile units to contain the disease which had so far caused four deaths.

These teams were continuously visiting the affected areas and distributing Halogen tablets, ORS packets and other essential medicines as and when required. He said that 77,460 Halogen tablets have been distributed and 1526 homes have been visited by the health teams, he said.

All private hospitals have been advised to immediately report to the civil surgeon, Ambala about diarrhoea cases along with any suspected case of Malaria, Dengu, Chickenguniya and Japanese Encephalitis. The teams were also collecting water samples, he added.

He said that 16 additional teams have been sent to slum areas of Ambala Cantt. which had been identified by the Health Department and some other slum areas of Ambala City to distribute drink-well-tablets.

Steps have also been taken to maintain sanitation and people were being cautioned about cleanliness. He said that all preventive measures have been taken to provide safe drinking water to the people.

He said that Commissioner Health, Mrs. Navraj Sandhu had also visited the affected area and directed the rapid response team to take all preventive measures in the affected areas.

He said that Water Supply and Sanitation Department had been told to inspect, identify and rectify any leakage or likely source of water contamination in their distribution system.

The disease, referred to by locals as Cholera, with symptoms of severe vomiting and loose motions, spread to adjoining localities of Alu Godam Ambala Cantonment when about 20 persons including two children were admitted to the civil hospital today, a report from Ambala said.

Since there was no child specialist in the Civil hospital, both the children were referred to the general civil hospital Ambala City for treatment, it added.

UNI