VEHARI, June 7: Over 200 people, including women and children, have reportedly been hospitalised in various parts of the district for the treatment of water-borne diseases during the last 24 hours.

The worst affected areas are Karampur, 9-11/WB, People’s colony, Muslim town, College town, suburbs of Mailsi, Masani bagh, Garah morr, Tibba Sultanpur, Luddan, Machiwal and Thingi colony. People of these areas are suffering from diseases like cholera, dehydration and gastroenteritis.

According to information collected by this correspondent, about eight people, including women and children, died of water-borne diseases in various hospitals of the district during the last one week.

On the other hand, patients being treated at government hospitals have complained that they are not being looked after properly.

They claimed that they had to purchase medicines from the market.

Dr Amir of DHQ hospital said about two dozen children suffering from dehydration and gastroenteritis were being admitted daily to children ward of the DHQ hospital. However, he denied reports of negligence on the part of medical staff.

Dr Tariq of 9-11/WB said on Wednesday out of 40 patients he checked at his clinic, 36 were suffering from water-borne diseases.

In UC-1, a number of people complained of mixing of sewerage water with underground water supply lines but the sanitary staff could not trace the mixing point.

A group of Thingi colony residents said water had been declared unfit for human consumption since long, but neither the health department nor the TMA had taken any step in this regard and every year about a dozen people, especially children died of water-borne diseases.

When this correspondent contacted EDO (health) Dr Pervez Haider Altaf, he said he had not been informed of the deaths. However, the EDO admitted that various state-run hospitals had received some cases of dehydration during the last 24 hours. He advised the people to use boiled water, avoid over-eating and substandard cold drinks in summer.