Shimla: Alarmed by a large number of jaundice
cases in pockets of tourist hotspot Shimla, the Himachal
Pradesh government on Wednesday said several measures have been taken to check the outbreak of the disease.
As many as 264 people suffering from Hepatitis E jaundice
were admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Deen Dayal
Upadhya hospitals between December 2009 and January 2010,
Health minister Rajeev Bindal said in reply to a call
attention motion brought in the assembly by state Congress
president Kaul Singh Thakur.
Bindal said Kasumpti area of Shimla was the worst
affected as 121 cases were reported from there.
He said waking to the problem the government tested water
samples and sent it to National Centre for Disease Control,
Delhi, which confirmed that drinking water supply was not
contaminated.
In some places, people fell ill after drinking impure
water which occurred due to improper sewerage system.
Through comprehensive awareness campaign people have been
told not to drink water from defective community taps, he
said.
The minister said four joint teams of the Health
Department, IPH and Shimla Municipal Corporation have been
formed in the town to tackle the outbreak of jaundice.
PTI
