Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660
Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Press clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/
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------------------------------------- 107 fall victim to jaundice ------------------------------------- In a belated action, the State government is undertaking damage-control measures as more than 100 persons have fallen victim to viral Hepatitis (jaundice) in the last few days.
While the main cause of this sudden spurt of viral Hepatitis cases is not known,
officials of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) strongly link it to the
sewerage water entering into the potable water pipeline in the heart of
Panjim more than two weeks ago.
As the incubation period of jaundice is between 15 days and two months,
it is feared that the present number of victims may be just the tip of the iceberg.
Officials however say that it is "localised only to Panjim."
Officials said that most of the victims were customers of the restaurants which received contaminated water. The restaurants' potable water supply which was polluted due to the contamination with the sewerage pipeline, is considered to be the main cause of spreading the viral hepatitis.
After the contamination was detected near Azad Maidan, the PWD on the advice of its public health engineering wing, had stopped water supply to the entire area and the restaurants are being supplied water by tankers.
At least five eateries were affected by the contamination. The victims who spoke to the doctors said that they drank water in these restaurants. The official figure of patients afflicted by the viral Hepatitis is 107. Of these, 35 are taking treatment from the Goa Medical College Hospital while the rest are being treated by private hospitals.
Among the first few victims was the director of Information and Publicity, Mr Rajesh Singh who was later treated at GMC. DHS officials fear that the staff members of the respective restaurants too may add up to the list of patients in the coming days as they drink potable water and not boiled water.
Some private pathological labs have confirmed that the victims are of Hepatitis E. However, for formal confirmation, serum samples have been dispatched to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
Though more than two weeks have passed since contamination of water was detected in Panjim, the authorities did practically nothing to advise the public not to drink water in the restaurants which had received contaminated water or to take other measures, until a spurt in jaundice case was reported.
Whether water sampling of the affected restaurants was done then is also
not known. "As water contamination came through the government-supplied
water pipeline, it was the responsibility of the government to caution the citizens",
said an agitated relative of a patient.
Health Minister, Dr Suresh Amonkar who held a high-level meeting at the
Secretariat to review what could be called a near-epidemic situation in Panjim,
said the cases appear to be of Hepatitis E. It has been spread through the
sewerage water, he stated. "We are taking all necessary measures", he claimed.
Tests conducted have revealed the presence of e-coli in the water in one of the
restaurants, he disclosed.
Incidentally, one restaurant was sealed some days ago after its water was also found contaminated with sewage water (due to its internal faulty system) However, it was allowed to be re-opened by the authorities concerned who found that its management had taken necessary measures.
Dr Amonkar told Herald that around ten restaurants were today inspected jointly
by officials of Health department and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
DHS does not have the exact number of persons afflicted by jaundice virus. This is attributed by the officials to the non-intimation by private hospitals to the DHS. "Hardly 35 per cent of the patients go to the GMC. The rest have taken treatment in private hospitals", an official stated.
Dr Rajendra Tamba, State's epidemiologist, obtained the number of the patients by personally visiting some private hospitals in the city.
According to the DHS, viral hepatitis is caused by contaminated water and
food and it causes symptoms such as fever, bodyache, loss of appetite,
morbidity, yellow eyes and urine. The virus is destroyed only by boiling water.
The virus doesn't get killed
by chlorination of water.
The public is advised to contact the nearest health centre or the State Epidemiologist, Directorate of Health Services, Campal personally or on Ph 2225538 or e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------- HERALD 19/8/03 -------------------------
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