Representative image of an ill person.
Credit: iStock Photo
Umaria: Three men, including a father-son duo, died due to diarrhoea and six others contracted the disease in two villages of Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Friday.
The area health supervisor has been suspended after the diarrhoea outbreak, while two other officials have been served show-cause notices, he said.
Tanoop Singh (62) and his son Chudamani Singh (32) died of diarrhoea in Belsara village. The disease, mostly caused by contaminated food or water, also claimed the life of Ramdev Singh (65) from Karhi village on Wednesday, area medical officer Dr K L Baghel said.
Six others in Karhi are suffering from the infection, he said. Three of them are admitted to a hospital in adjoining Dindori district, while the rest are being attended at home, he said.
A team of medics, doctors, epidemiologists and revenue officials have been sent to the two villages, he said.
Asked about the cause of the outbreak, Dr Baghel said they suspect water contamination. However, he added that hand pumps are the only source of potable water in the two villages situated 2 to 3 km apart and about 70 km from the district headquarters.
The Public Health Engineering Department will test the water from the two villages, he said.
Meanwhile, Umaria Collector Dharnendra Kumar Jain has suspended RP Singh, health supervisor of the Ghulghuli sector, under Madhya Pradesh Civil Services Rules after the diarrhoea cases came to light, a government release said.
The collector has also served “3-day returnable” show-cause notices to Chief Health Officer Meenakshi Malv and Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) Kanchan Singh, it added.