May 20, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 21, 1427

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FAISALABAD, May 19: As many as 200 more residents of Ghulam Muhammadabad Colony suffering from gastroenteritis were brought to various city hospitals and clinics on Friday.

At least four residents, three of them children, of the affected locality had died on Saturday due to consuming polluted tap-water supplied by Wasa.

Due to lack of space in the wards of the General Hospital, many affected people are being provided medical care under the makeshift tents erected at the open lawns of the facility.

According to sources, out of 116 patients admitted to the hospital the condition of 10, including seven children, is still critical. For the reasons best known to the administration, these serious patients have not been shifted to the intensive care units of the Allied or DHQ hospitals.

Area residents Ijaz Hussain, Kashif Fareed, Ajmal Malik, Noor Ansari, Ilyas Ansari, Azhar Mehmood and others alleged that the contaminated water was still being supplied to the locality despite Wasa announcement of its closure, which could further complicate the situation.

They also alleged that Wasa authorities had been repeatedly informed for the last six months about the contaminated water supply to the locality but they did not take any notice, resulting in gastroenteritis outbreak in the area.

Meanwhile, City District Nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef, along with senior health department officials, visited the affected area and inspected arrangements made in the General Hospital for the patients.

The nazim told media that a committee comprising additional director-general, Faisalabad Development Authority, deputy managing director, Wasa, EDO (Health) and area UC nazim, to look into causes of the outbreak.

District Coordination Officer Azam Suleman Khan deputed EDO (Health) to look after the patients admitted to the General Hospital.

As many as 550 cases of gastroenteritis have been reported during the last two days to the General Hospital, all of them from within three-kilometre radius of the affected locality, APP adds while quoting District Officer (Health) Dr Rana Muhammad Imran.

The DO said that in view of the emergency situation, eight additional doctors and 12 paramedics had been deputed at the General Hospital where necessary medicines were being provided to the patients free of cost.

An emergency control room had also been established at the hospital. It could be contacted on telephone numbers, 041-2682800 and 041-2696300, the DO said.

WASA HANDOUT: A handout issued by Wasa managing director said investigations were under way to find out causes of the disease outbreak.

It claimed that samples of the water supplied by Wasa had been tested and were found fit for human consumption, while more samples had been sent to laboratories for analysis.

It also claimed that the disease outbreak was caused by the use of underground water.

Meanwhile, despite passage of 36 hours, Punjab government has failed to initiate action against any official found responsible for the negligence.