A CORRESPONDENT
BOKO: A major outbreak of food poisoning in Boko has left more than a hundred people ill, with 34, including children, men, and women admitted to the Boko Primary Health Centre (PHC).
According to reports, since Tuesday, residents from Jobepara, Rongchepara, and Bhogdabari villages began showing symptoms and were admitted to the PHC. By Wednesday night, the number of patients increased significantly, with several also being treated at nearby nursing homes.
Dr Apurba Talukdar, Sub-Divisional Medical Officer of Boko PHC, said that the common symptoms among the patients were vomiting, fever, stomach pain, and diarrhoea. On Wednesday night, two patients—Dimpal Boro and Tushoram Boro—were referred to Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH). However, due to financial constraints, Dimpal Boro was admitted to a private hospital in Boko, while Tushoram Boro was taken home, though a health department team continues to provide medical care at his residence.
By Wednesday night, 30 patients were admitted to Boko PHC. On Thursday, three more patients were referred to GMCH for advanced treatment: Sayanika Boro (6) and Rupali Boro (45) of Jobepara village, and Runu Boro (35) of Rongchepara village. As of Thursday evening, a total of 37 patients remained at Boko PHC.
Following instructions from Kamrup District Commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra, District Joint Director of Health Department Dr Ajit Das, along with a team, visited Boko on Thursday to investigate the incident and ensure adequate medical support. The team inspected the affected villages and collected samples of water, food, blood, and stool for laboratory testing to determine the cause of the outbreak.
Dr Talukdar stated that villagers had consumed food during local events, including marriage feasts, Saraswati Puja, and Bathou Puja celebrations, which may have contributed to the outbreak. Meanwhile, the health department has temporarily shut down a bottled drinking water plant named Refresh Live in Bhogdabari as part of precautionary measures.
According to official reports, a total of 127 people from Jobepara, Rongchepara, and Bhogdabari villages have been affected so far. Of these, 32 are admitted at Boko PHC, and 5 have been referred to GMCH. The remaining patients are being treated at home by health department teams. Dr Das assured that the situation is now under control, though continuous monitoring is being carried out.
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