*Patients allege shortage of drip sets, fluid
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 24: With 50 more cases reported to the Sub District Hospital Mendhar and some other Primary Health Centres of the Sub Division during last 24 hours, the number of diarrhoea cases have reached up to nearly 550 in Mendhar area while there is still shortage of drip sets, glucose bottles and medicines in the hospitals despite the claims of Director Health services Jammu that a truck loaded with drugs/ fluid has been sent on Tuesday afternoon.
While the epidemic in entire Mendhar Sub- Division of Poonch has been on the rise for the last about one week, the State Health authorities seems to be still in deep slumber. The Minister concerned Bali Bhagat when contacted said that he was not aware of the situation, while Director Health Services Jammu Dr Gurjeet Singh said that there was no need to send the Medical teams to the area. He also claimed that truck loaded with the drugs and other medical items include drip sets and Glucose bottles were sent to the area on Tuesday afternoon.
Interestingly, BMO Mendhar, Dr Zulfkar Choudhary, however, when contacted claimed that no medicines/ fluid bottles supply has been received in Mendhar hospital till Wednesday evening. He admitted that there was shortage of supplies.
The people are purchasing Glucose bottles and drip sets besides other medicines etc from the private Chemist shops for the last couple of days as the State Health authorities have completely failed to ensure supplies to the suffering public. Sub District Hospital Mendhar is so crowded with patients that on one bed two to three patients have been accommodated. The existing local Medical staff is over burdened.
Meanwhile, exposing the claim of the Executive Engineer PHE Poonch, Abdul Qayoom Choudhary that Mendhar PHE Lab was functional, the SDM Mendhar, Rahul Yadav and SDPO Riaz Tantray paid surprise visit to the PHE complex today and found that after long time the dusting of this closed Lab was done by the staff today only. Not only this, many expired chemicals and other E-coli vials with expiry dates were thrown behind the complex. Some bottles of chemicals which were going to be expired this month had also been thrown out in panic by the staff after coming to know about the visit of the Magistrate and Police. Not only this, interestingly they had collected 17 water samples in soft drinks bottles and kept in the Lab but no tests had been performed since yesterday despite claims made by AEE concerned. They pulled up the PHE staff for the lapse.
The Executive Engineer PHE Poonch also paid visit to the PHE complex Mendhar and asked the staff there to go for sample testing. He had also taken some trained staff with him for the task from Poonch. He visited water storage tanks and directed the staff to mix chlorine and take other measures.
SDPO, Tantray while sharing information said that he along with SDM was surprise to see the condition of PHE Lab. It appeared that it was locked since long. Expiry date chemicals were noticed there. It was learnt that two close relatives of local engineers have been engaged in the Labs and they do not know their job even. He said near main old water storage tank near PHE complex which ensures water supply to Mendhar town and several adjoining villages hamlets, there was massive garbage scattered. Very unhygienic condition was witnessed around this tank, with every possibility of flowing contaminated water to the source.
SDPO said that SDM also directed the Executive Engineer PHE to take action against the erring Lab and other PHE staff for the lapse. He said during night hours he along with SDM also paid visit to hospital and found 2-3 patients lying on one bed. The number of patients is increasing with each passing day. The BMO told during this afternoon that 37 more cases have reported to the hospital today. He said that matter is serious and the Government must take extra measures to contain the epidemic.
Minister for Health and Medical Education, Bali Bhagat told the Excelsior this evening that he spoke to BMO Mendhar, Dr Zulfkar who told that medicines and fluid was available in the hospital stock and hardly 10 to 12 patients were there in the hospital. The minister further said that BMO also revealed that during Urs in that area few days back, some people consumed unhygienic Shabeel water there and they fell sick but now they are recovering.
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