Bengaluru/ Shivamogga
The State Health Department has confirmed that two of the five deaths in Kavadigara Hatti in Chitradurga are due to cholera. The death toll in the alleged drinking water contamination case touched five.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who visited Chitradurga along with officials on Saturday, told presspersons that laboratory reports had confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, in samples of two of the persons who died. “Reports of other samples are awaited. We have ordered a thorough investigation,” he said.
He assured the people of Kavadigara Hatti that the State government will probe the supply of contaminated water and take action against the guilty. “The water supply source has been stopped and supply is now being done from other sources,” he said.
The locals alleged that the officials of Chitradurga City Municipal Council were responsible for the supply of contaminated water. The officials had not cleaned the overhead tank even once in the last 10 years.
Responding to their allegations, Mr. Gundu Rao said there was no question of hiding the truth or safeguarding the guilty. “The department has sent a team from Bengaluru to conduct a detailed survey and submit a report about the incident. Based on the report, we will take further action,” he said.
Suspension of doctors
The Minister also visited the district hospital and inquired with the doctors about the health of people under treatment. During interaction with the public, a few complained to him that the doctors and staff demanded money for treatment. Based on the complaints, Mr. Gundu Rao ordered the suspension of district surgeon H.S. Basavaraj.
Mr. Gundu Rao along with Minister for Planning and Statistics D. Sudhakar, who is also Minister in charge of Chitradurga district, handed over cheques of ₹10 lakh to families of four people who died. As family members of one of them are still under treatment, cheque was not handed over to them.
Since August 1, more than 195 people in Kavadigara Hatti have fallen ill. Of them, 10 fresh cases were reported on Saturday. So far, five people have died and 32 have recovered. As many as 158 people are under treatment. The Health and Family Welfare Department has sent a rapid response team to the village.
