Water contamination: Audit indicates 15 deaths linked to diarrhoea outbreak in Indore

An audit report has been submitted to the Indore administration on the deaths of 21 persons in Bhagirathpura, with findings suggesting 15 of the fatalities may be linked to a recent outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea in the area, according to sources.

Five new cases of diarrhoea, linked to drinking contaminated water in the Bhagirathpura area of Indore, the country's cleanest city, were found on Tuesday, a Madhya Pradesh health department official said.

Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani said the new diarrhoea patients from Bhagirathpura visited the outpatient department (OPD) of health centres, where they were treated.

The local administration has so far confirmed the deaths of six persons due to vomiting and diarrhoea caused by drinking contaminated water. However, local residents claimed 23 patients, including a six-month-old child, have died so far due to the outbreak.

Meanwhile, a committee from the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College here has submitted an 'audit' report to the administration on the deaths of 21 persons in Bhagirathpura.

Sources familiar with the contents of the report on Tuesday said 15 of these deaths may be linked to the vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak in some way.

"A committee of senior doctors from the college was formed to analyse the causes of the deaths in Bhagirathpura. This committee has submitted its report," District Magistrate Shivam Verma told reporters on Tuesday.

Verma, however, did not provide specific details about the 'death audit' report.

He said some fatalities in Bhagirathpura were likely due to vomiting and diarrhoea caused by unclean drinking water, but the deaths of some patients were unrelated to the outbreak.

The committee could not reach at any conclusion regarding the actual cause of death in some other cases, said the senior bureaucrat.

He said the district administration has so far provided financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to 18 affected families in Bhagirathpura.

"All the deaths in Bhagirathpura are very sad, regardless of the cause. We are consoling the affected families and providing them financial assistance," Verma said.

A total of 436 patients were admitted to hospitals since the vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak, triggered by the supply of contaminated drinking water in the locality on December 29, of whom 403 were discharged after recovery, the CMHO stated.

Currently, 33 patients are hospitalised, of whom eight are in intensive care units (ICUs) of hospitals, he added.