Hamirpur
The Himachal Pradesh government has formed a team of healthcare experts to investigate the causes behind the recent outbreak of diarrhoea in the Tauni Devi area of Hamirpur district, officials announced on Wednesday. According to Hamirpur Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr RK Agnihotri, the number of reported cases has increased to 354, with 64 new cases of diarrhoea and dysentery identified across 13 panchayats in Tauni Devi.
Of the total cases, 278 patients have recovered, while 71 are currently receiving treatment at home, and five are hospitalized at Tauni Devi Hospital. Health authorities have dispatched 26 teams to affected villages to distribute medications, and the number of cases is expected to rise further, with updates anticipated by the evening. As of now, there have been no reports of similar outbreaks in other parts of the district.
The rapid response team (RRT), comprising five members including healthcare professionals and technicians, has conducted patient interviews at Tauni Devi Civil Hospital and collected water samples from the affected areas. Stool samples from affected patients have been sent to Medical College, Tanda, for analysis to determine the cause of the outbreak.
Despite ongoing efforts by the Jal Shakti department to chlorinate water sources and conduct tests, no adverse reports regarding water quality have been received. This recent diarrhoea outbreak marks the third occurrence in Hamirpur district within the past 14 months under the current Congress administration, with previous incidents in January 2023 and June 2023 affecting significant numbers of residents.
