VEHARI, July 10: Two people lost their lives while dozens of others were brought to various state-run hospitals, including the DHQ Hospital, for the treatment of water-borne diseases during the last 24 hours in the Vehari district.

The worst-affected areas are Chaks 6/EB, 232/EB, 208/EB, 202/EB, 206/EB, 200/EB, Muslim Town, 9-11/WB, and College Town where dozens of people, including women and children, are suffering with diseases like cholera and gastroenteritis.

Those died were identified as Zakran Bibi and Manzoor Ahmed of Chak 245/EB while those hospitalized included, Mubashar, Qaisar Ali Azam, Humera, Zeenat Bibi, Shazia Bibi, Hasan Ali, Naveed, Liaquat Ali, Mehmood Aslam, Arslan and Yaqoob.

Patients being treated at government hospitals complained that they were not being looked after properly. They claimed that they had to purchase medicines from the market.

Talking to Dawn, lumberdar Manzoor Ahmed of Chak 206/EB said that diseases spread every year during the monsoon season owing to the contaminated underground water.

He said the water had long been declared unfit for drinking purposes, but neither the health department nor the TMA had taken any step in this regard.

Meanwhile, EDO (health) Dr Pervaiz Haider said that a free medical camp set up in affected areas by a health team had checked over 200 people, but not a single case of cholera and gastroenteritis was detected.

About the death of two people, he said kidney failure became the cause of their death. However, he admitted that various state-run hospitals received some cases of dehydration during the last 24 hours.

The EDO further said the health team had collected samples of water from affected areas and sent them to a laboratory for chemical analysis.

He advised the people to use boiled water and avoid over-eating and substandard cold drinks, particularly in the monsoon season.