Rains cause spike in diarrhoea cases among Chennaiites

CHENNAI: After the heavy rains and inundation, hospitals in Chennai are reporting Acute Diarrhoeal Disease (ADD). This is due to contaminated water and food, said doctors. At the Communicable Disease Hospital (CDH) in Tondiarpet, 40 patients were admitted with diarrhoea on Monday. “All of them are stable. We regularly test all samples for cholera. So far, none have returned positive,” said a senior doctor at the CDH.

Meanwhile, the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital has been receiving at least 10 cases of acute diarrhoea, vomiting, and food poisoning every day, said the institute’s dean Dr R Shanthi Malar. “At least three of these cases are getting admitted. Suspected cholera cases are referred to the CDH,” Malar added.

Dr Paranthaman, head of Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital’s Medicine Department, said very sick patients are arriving, but are recovering fast on being treated. “Contaminated water and food are the causes. Even canned water should be boiled before consumption in the monsoon,”said Dr Paranthaman pointed out.

At the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital too, ADD cases are being reported, said a senior doctor. “We have been getting between eight and 10 cases daily for the past five days; but all are stable. There are cases of vomiting as well,” the doctor added. Health camps have been conducted in all districts affected by the rains, and the Chennai Corporation alone has conducted over 500 such camps.

Meanwhile on Monday, Health Minister Ma Subramanian launched an initiative to provide medical care at people’s doorsteps. The programme is being conducted in parts of Chennai where rainwater has been stagnant for the last four days, the minister said, adding that staff are screening people for fever, cough, diarrhoea, and sore throat, among other things, at the health camps.

In a video message, Director of Public Health (DPH) Dr T S Selvavinayagam recently requested people to only drink boiled water. People in inundation areas should clean sumps and tanks with bleaching powder. Even wells should be disinfected, the DPH said.