Over a Dozen Children Hospitalised in MP’s Guna Amid Suspected Water Contamination; Samples Sent for Testing

Over a dozen children were admitted to the district hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Guna after reportedly falling ill due to suspected contaminated drinking water in wards 9 and 10, officials said on Monday.

The district administration has launched an investigation into the incident and collected water samples from the affected area for laboratory testing to ascertain the cause of the illness.

Speaking to ANI, Chief Officer of Jal Jeevan Mission Guna, Sanchit Dhemri, said that a team was immediately dispatched to the locality after information regarding the incident was received.

"Today, the issue regarding wards 9 and 10 came to my attention, specifically that some children fell ill due to contaminated water and have been admitted to the district hospital. As soon as I received this information, I dispatched a team to collect samples from the area," Dhemri said.

According to Dhemri, the water tank serving the affected locality supplies water to at least six wards. He further said that the children were admitted with symptoms including vomiting, loose motions, abdominal pain and, in some cases, jaundice.

"It has come to our notice that some children are currently stable. There are no critical classes," Dhakad told ANI.

He further added that around 10 children between the ages of five and eleven years have been admitted to the district hospital.

While the exact cause of the illness has not yet been confirmed, the administration has ordered water testing and is conducting an inquiry into the matter. Authorities are awaiting lab reports to determine whether contaminated water was responsible for the outbreak. 

Read More: Kerala Reports First Shigella Death: What Is the Infection?