June 04, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 7, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 3: The centre on Saturday asked the provincial governments to immediately constitute provincial and district committees and monitor quality of water supply to check the outbreak of gastroenteritis.

Taking note of complaints about the outbreak of gastroenteritis in different districts due to consumption of unsafe water and non-observance of proper sanitation, the health ministry asked the provinces to form the committees and continuously monitor water supply at source, in supply lines and at user’s end.

The recent outbreak of gastroenteritis in cities like Faisalabad and Hyderabad has resulted in the death of many people and hundreds of others are suffering from symptoms of water-borne disease.

According to the Water and Sanitation Agency, those affected rely on underground pumped water and people complain of being supplied tap water that looks brackish and smells foul.

A spokesman for the federal health minister asked the provincial governments to ensure proper disposal of different types of waste and maintenance of sanitation at all levels.

“Public awareness is of utmost importance in prevention from gastroenteritis, therefore the provincial and district committees should intensify health education drive to educate the masses about personal hygiene, use of boiled water or chlorine tablets in drinking water, safe food handling and preparation practice,” the spokesman said.

Such committees should also seek assistance of lady health workers in educating the public and ensuring adequate supply of ORS and medical supplies.

The committee proposed at the district level under the district coordination officer concerned will comprise the executive district officer, health, medical superintendent of the district headquarters hospital, heads of public engineering departments and Wasa, deputy director of information and the EDO, finance, of respective areas.

The joint committees at the provincial level will monitor and assist the entire process.

The public health engineering department and Wasa had the responsibility of ensuring supply of clean drinking water, but implications on health of the current situation demanded that the health ministry should play a pro-active role, the spokesman said.

Therefore, full laboratory and epidemiological support was being provided by the ministry, besides technical guidance to the provincial and district authorities, he said.

The spokesman denied any increase in prices of anti-gastroenteritis drugs, saying no increase in the price of “ringers lactate,” and anti-gastroenteritis drugs had been made for four and a half years.

The government was keeping a vigilant eye on such matters to fulfil its responsibilities of providing basic health facilities, including availability of drugs, particularly essential life-saving ones, along with reported drugs at affordable prices, he said.