Patiala, June 12
Around 15 cases of jaundice have been reported from Dogra Mohalla near Patiala’s old bus stand, with several patients admitted to Mata Kaushalya Hospital for treatment, officials said.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh visited the affected locality on Thursday to assess the situation after reports of the outbreak emerged. Teams from the Patiala Municipal Corporation were seen carrying out repair work to separate water supply and sewerage pipelines in the area.
Speaking to reporters during the inspection, Dr Balbir Singh said unauthorised water connections installed by residents through private individuals instead of the municipal corporation were often responsible for such situations.
“People sometimes get private water connections installed rather than approaching the municipal corporation. In many cases, faulty connections lead to the mixing of sewerage and drinking water pipelines,” he said.
The minister noted that similar incidents involving diarrhoea outbreaks had occurred in Patiala in the past and suggested that contaminated water may again be the reason behind the latest health scare.
“This time around, 15 people have been affected by jaundice. Repair work on the pipelines is underway, and those admitted to hospital are expected to recover and return home soon,” he added.
Dr Balbir Singh further stated that the Punjab government was closely monitoring the situation and had already issued directions to both medical and municipal corporation teams to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread.
