In Lakhpat taluka of Gujarat’s Kutch district, twelve individuals, including four children under twelve, have succumbed to illness following recent heavy rains. Local reports indicate that the deceased exhibited symptoms including fever, pneumonia, and difficulty breathing.
Health officials have identified pneumonitis as the primary cause of these deaths. However, some local district panchayat members contend that the fever, which has also caused respiratory issues, was not properly diagnosed.
The district administration has ramped up medical efforts in the affected areas, deploying 22 surveillance teams, including doctors and health personnel from nearby community health centers and Rajkot PDU Medical College. The teams are collecting samples to rule out other potential causes such as H1N1, swine flu, Crimean-Congo fever, malaria, and dengue, according to Kutch Collector Amit Arora.
Arora stated, “The primary cause of death seems to be pneumonitis. There is no evidence of contamination or a communicable disease. We have mobilized extensive health resources to address the situation.”
Local panchayat member Meenaba Jadeja reported in a letter to Gujarat Congress Chief Shaktisinh Gohil that between September 3 and September 9, twelve individuals aged 5 to 50 from Bekhada, Sanandro, Morgar, and Bharavandh villages died from the fever. These patients were initially treated at a private hospital in Vermanagar, then transferred to Dayapar CHC, and finally to Bhuj General Hospital. One patient was moved to Ahmedabad but did not survive.
Residents reported that patients experienced symptoms including fever, cold, cough, and severe respiratory issues. Mamd Jung Jat, another district panchayat member, echoed concerns that doctors had yet to provide a definitive diagnosis.
The situation remains under close monitoring as health authorities continue their investigation.
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