Indore Water Contamination: 64-Year-Old Man Dies Amid Diarrhoea Outbreak
A 64-year-old resident of Bhagirathpura area in Indore died at a private hospital on Monday. This death occurred in a locality where several fatalities were reported recently due to water contamination with sewage supplied to households.
Hospital and Official Statements on the Death
Hospital sources claimed the death resulted from multi-organ failure. Local authorities did not attribute this death to the ongoing diarrhoea outbreak in the area. The patient, identified as Bhagwandas, passed away early in the morning after a 10-day battle with his condition.
Rahul Parashar, the hospital's director, stated that the patient suffered from gangrene and multiple organ failure. He ultimately succumbed after experiencing a cardiac arrest.
CMHO Dr Madhav Hasani provided details about the patient's medical journey. The patient was first admitted to Shalby Hospital with complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea. He was later shifted to Bombay Hospital due to critical blood sugar levels and other illnesses, Dr Hasani said.
Another Recent Death and Conflicting Accounts
Another person, Kamla Bai (59), died on January 9 after showing severe symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. Her family linked her death directly to the local water contamination. However, hospital authorities attributed it to long-standing kidney issues.
We sought health history and treatment records from the hospital to decide the further course of action in this case, the CMHO said regarding Kamla Bai's death.
Official Figures and Response Measures
The official death figure attributed to diarrhoea remained at six. The Indore district administration extended financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of 18 deceased individuals.
According to the health bulletin issued on Monday:
- 434 patients were admitted since the outbreak began
- 395 patients recovered and returned home
- 39 patients remained hospitalised
- 10 persons were in the ICU
Health Department's Active Measures
Dr Hasani reported that 50 medical teams, comprising over 200 health workers, were active in the affected area. These teams screened over 12,521 residents in just three days. They have set a target to cover around 60,000 residents of Bhagirathpura within the next week.
Every resident is being provided with a health card to track vital indices. Kit distribution, including ORS and zinc tablets, is ongoing at the household level to combat the outbreak.
