Gandhinagar typhoid surge: Amit Shah orders war-footing response as cases cross 100

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the administration in Gandhinagar to act on a war footing following the detection of nearly 100 cases of suspected typhoid in the state capital, the Gujarat government said on Sunday.

According to a government release, the outbreak of the water-borne disease was reported a few days ago in Sectors 24, 28 and the Adivada area of Gandhinagar city due to leakage in a water pipeline. Shah has ordered the immediate repair of the pipeline.

So far, 113 cases of suspected typhoid have been detected. Of these, 19 patients have been discharged after treatment, while 94 are currently undergoing treatment at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital and health centres in Sectors 24 and 29. The condition of all patients is stable, the release said.

Round-the-clock outpatient departments (OPDs) have been started in the affected areas, and food arrangements have been made for relatives of patients admitted to the Civil Hospital.

Shah, the Lok Sabha member from Gandhinagar, has been in constant touch with Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, the district collector and the municipal commissioner to receive updates on the situation. He has instructed officials to tackle the outbreak on a war footing.

On Sunday, the Union minister held a telephonic discussion with Health Department officials and asked them to ensure that children and other citizens affected by typhoid receive prompt and accurate treatment. He also instructed officials to provide food to patients and their relatives at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital.

Shah further ordered the immediate repair of the leakage and intensive inspection of pipelines in the affected and surrounding areas to prevent further spread of the disease.

As part of containment measures, 75 health teams have been deployed across Gandhinagar city to carry out intensive health management and survey work. Survey teams of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation have inspected more than 20,800 houses and covered over 90,000 people so far.

As a preventive step, 30,000 chlorine tablets and 20,600 ORS packets have been distributed. Survey teams are also distributing awareness leaflets door to door, advising residents to boil drinking water, avoid outside food and maintain hand hygiene.

The process of super chlorination of water has been accelerated, and chlorination levels in drinking water are being regularly checked. Leakages found in pipelines in the affected areas have been repaired on an immediate basis, the release added.