The district administration here placed under suspension a junior engineer of public health department following the outbreak of diarrhea and gastroenteritis in Jagerpora area here, which has been ascribed to supply of “contaminated water”.
Additional deputy commissioner Kupwara, Muzafar Hussain said the disease had spread in the village due to the supply of contaminated water to the area by the PHE department.
“A junior engineer Azhar Ahmad of PHE has been placed under suspension,” he confirmed to Greater Kashmir.
However, Dr Nazir Ahmad posted in the area said the disease was under control now.
“The patient rush is decreasing day-by-day at the medical camps. Over five hundred patients were treated on the first day (two days ago) and today only fifty patients were received at three medical camps,” he said.
An official said that several teams of health department were continuously inspecting the area for the last three days and are keenly monitoring the situation.
Official team to investigate
Kupwara, Aug 12: In order to take stock of the situation, deputy commissioner Kupwara, Khalid Jahangir today visited the diarrhea outbreak affected Jagerpora area of Handwara.
He interacted with the locals of the village, and enquired about the health of the affected.
DDC also inspected the mobile medical camps to check the treatment facilities available, an official handout said.
DDC constituted a team comprising ADC Handwara, SE Baramulla and Chief Medical Officer Kupwara to conduct a detailed enquiry about the outbreak and to receive feedback from the people and submit the enquiry report by evening today, 12th of August.
The deputy commissioner also inspected the spring that functions as the main source of water for the village and issued on-spot directions to executive engineer, PHE department to mobile resources on war footing for expediting the on-going renovation, repair and protection work on the water body.
He assured every possible assistance including financial support from the district administration to the concerned department and directed the executive engineer PHE Handwara to complete the work within one week.
The DC also directed the Health department to ensure availability of physicians, para-medics, medicines for the quick recovery of the affected and conduct awareness campaigns to fully aware and inform the people of the village and vicinity about sustainable access to safe drinking water. He instructed the officials of health department to advise people to drink boiled water and to take all necessary precautions.
He said that the district administration and the health department is well equipped and geared up to deal with such issues and all preventive measures to avoid recurrence of such public health issues have been taken.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner directed the concerned to make sure that the Chowkidari Hut being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 3 lac is completed at an earliest.