Team Herald
VASCO: Health authorities are on high alert following the detection of two suspected typhoid cases at the Prabhu Violetta residential complex in Alto-Dabolim, as the persistent diarrhoea outbreak escalated to 158 cases raising concern among residents.
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According to a medical officer from the Cortalim Primary Health Centre (PHC), surveillance has been intensified in the area since the issue first came to light last week. Medical teams are deployed at the complex. Since March 16, PHC staff has been visiting the area regularly recording cases and administering medicines, including oral rehydration salts (ORS), as part of ongoing efforts to contain the outbreak.
Providing an update on the situation, the official said the total number of diarrhoea cases had risen to 158, with two fresh cases reported on Saturday, both showing symptoms like loose motions and vomiting.
“Till Friday, we had recorded 156 cases with symptoms like loose motions, fever and weakness. Today, two additional cases have been identified, taking the total to 158. We continue to monitor all patients and ensure timely treatment,” the doctor said.
The situation is being closely monitored by the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Cortalim, with medical teams stationed at the site since early this week. While some patients are showing signs of recovery, new cases continue to be reported, indicating the situation has not yet fully stabilised.
Health officials have also started collecting and testing samples as part of routine outbreak response measures. Teams from the Directorate of Health Services have collected stool samples from affected persons to determine the cause of the illness.
“As per standard protocol during such outbreaks, stool samples are collected for laboratory testing. In one case involving a child, the culture results have confirmed typhoid. We examined the child on Saturday morning; her loose motions have stopped and the fever has subsided after starting antibiotics. She has been advised to come again on Monday for further evaluation and is continuing on ORS. At present, there are no signs of dehydration,” the doctor said.
The medical official further noted that another suspected case had initially tested positive for typhoid at a private hospital, though the result is yet to be confirmed through standard testing procedures.
“In another instance, a patient tested positive at a private facility, but this result is not considered confirmatory. Both patients have been advised to undergo blood tests at our facility to conclusively determine whether they are affected by typhoid,” the doctor added.
“We are also closely examining patients who return for follow-up visits or show delayed recovery,” the medical officer said.
The health officials have urged the residents to maintain strict hygiene, consume only safe drinking water and report any symptoms at the earliest, as efforts continue to contain the spread and identify the source of contamination
Meanwhile, on Saturday morning, tensions escalated at the Prabhu Violetta residential complex after residents alleged that untreated sewage water continued to be discharged in the garden area despite directions from authorities to stop it.
Following complaints, a team from the Vasco Police Station rushed to the site and conducted a panchanama to document the situation.
The residents alleged that discharge was noticed in the early hours, prompting immediate calls to the police and local authorities.
A resident who had gone for a morning walk inside the complex said he was taken aback after witnessing sewage water being pumped into the open area within the complex.
“I had gone for a walk inside the complex and stopped near a cross and a banyan tree to offer prayers for the recovery of residents affected by the ongoing health crisis. It was then that I noticed sewage water being pumped into the garden area, despite instructions from authorities to stop such discharge,” the resident said.
He further stated that he immediately alerted both the police and the Chicalim Village Panchayat. Both the police and the sarpanch who rushed to the spot saw how the sewage water was being discharged. The waste was also being diverted into an adjoining property owned by the same builder,” the resident said, demanding action against the builder based on the findings of the inspection.
Chicalim sarpanch Kamla Prasad Yadav said that a temporary medical unit will be set up at the Prabhu Violetta complex in view of increasing diarrhoea and suspected typhoid cases and to closely monitor the situation.
Yadav informed that the society has already provided a room for the medical unit and arrangements are underway to make operationalise the facility immediately. This will enable doctors continuously monitor patients over the next three to four days and ensure that the situation does not escalate into a larger outbreak he said.
Describing the situation as alarming, Yadav said the outbreak has created panic not only among residents of the complex but also across the Chicalim village, prompting intervention from multiple government departments.
He pointed out that untreated sewage discharge and malfunctioning sewage treatment plants (STPs) are at the root of the crisis, which has now escalated into a public health concern.
Yadav stated that the village panchayat is planning to conduct a joint inspection along with the builder and the contractor responsible for operating the STP to address the issue decisively. Unless the STPs are made fully functional, this problem will not be solved, he said.
According to the sarpanch, the issue of non-functional STPs had been pending for years with residents repeatedly raising concerns at the village level and in the gram sabha.
“The panchayat had written to the GSPCB and PWD and while there was correspondence with the builder, concrete action was lacking. Now, finally, steps are being taken to resolve the issue,” Yadav said.
WRD SEALS BOREWELL AT PRABHU VIOLETTA
VASCO: The Water Resources Department (WRD) on Saturday sealed a borewell in the Prabhu Violetta residential complex at Alto Dabolim after the three-day show cause notice period ended, amid health concerns linked to rising diarrhoea cases.
The borewell was sealed after a site inspection carried out on March 18 based on a complaint from the Cortalim Primary Health Centre (PHC). Officials found that the borewell, which was permitted strictly for construction use, was being used for domestic consumption in violation of the Goa Ground Water Regulation Act, 2002 and related rules.
A notice dated March 20 directed the concerned parties to respond within three days, warning that failure to comply could result in closure and penalties. With no satisfactory response received within the stipulated period, the WRD engineers proceeded to seal the borewell.
Authorities said the borewell was suspected to be one of the contributing factors to the outbreak, prompting urgent intervention. Officials stressed that misuse of groundwater sources, particularly in residential areas, could pose serious public health risks and warranted strict enforcement.
The notice also cautioned that if the violation was found to have impacted residents’ health, further legal action, including criminal proceedings, could be initiated.
Meanwhile, health authorities continue to monitor the situation and are working to identify the exact source of contamination. Residents have been advised to use only safe and treated water until the situation is fully brought under control.
