A state of panic persists among the villagers of Pandu gram in Madhupur in Arambagh, as from the past few days several people have come down with diarrhoea. At least 35 affected people were rushed to Arambagh Medical College Hospital as well as to private hospitals. Zila Parishad assistant sabhadipati Krishna Chandra Santra today visited the affected patients in the hospital. He said many of the affected are now in stable condition except for a few who are in a serious state. The exact reason for the diarrhoea outbreak is not yet known, but an expert team is working to ascertain the cause, Mr Santra said.
The area residents usually wash utensils and bath using pond water, but drinking water is usually sourced from hand pumps, tube wells and tap water supply. The Serampore IMA president Dr Pradeep Kumar Das said, usually during heat wave-like conditions people who are outdoors usually drink water from different sources which are not clean and hygienic. Consuming cut fruits and sarbats prepared from unclean water are also some of the main reasons for the outbreak of diarrhoea in summer season.
Bathing in unclean pond water also leads to different diseases. Moreover in village areas,when celebrating different pujas and social functions, the bhog or prasad is kept in the open uncovered, leading to diarrhoea or even food poisoning. It is very necessary to spread awareness on food habits among the rural people specially during summer season or when heat wavelike condition prevails, Dr Das said.