A severe health emergency has gripped Desujodha village in Sirsa district, Haryana, where a contaminated water supply has triggered a massive outbreak of hepatitis-A, leaving numerous residents sick. The situation escalated rapidly over the past week, creating widespread panic among villagers and necessitating emergency transfers of critical patients to major medical facilities outside the district. Local residents staged demonstrations demanding immediate measures to restore safe drinking water and address the crisis.
Critical Patients Shifted to AIIMS and Ludhiana
Among those affected, the condition of two young women deteriorated significantly, prompting doctors to refer them to advanced medical centers. Prabhjot, the 21-year-old daughter of Malkit Singh, was admitted to AIIMS Bathinda, while Preet Kaur, the 18-year-old daughter of Kuldeep Singh, was rushed to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana. Several other villagers including Jasmeet Kaur, Harpreet Kaur, Gopi, Manpreet Kaur, Rajkaran, and Gurnoor are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals across Sirsa, Dabwali, Bathinda, Ludhiana, and Rama Mandi.
Pipeline Leakage Blamed for Contamination
According to village sarpanch Charanjit Singh and local residents, the contamination stems from leakage in newly laid water pipelines. Villagers explained that ongoing work to replace old water supply lines resulted in cracks and leaks, mixing impure elements into the drinking water delivered to households. The number of sick individuals surged steadily over the course of a week. Subsequent medical screenings confirmed that the patients were suffering from hepatitis-A, leading to protests by locals demanding reliable access to clean water.
Health Department Screening and Administration Response
In response to the escalating crisis, the health department collected 540 samples from the village over a five-day period. Out of these, 216 individuals tested positive for suspected symptoms, while 45 patients required hospitalization. The hospitalized group includes two children aged up to five years, 26 patients aged up to 18 years, and 17 patients up to 60 years of age, comprising 30 males and 15 females. To assess the ground reality, a team of district administration officials visited Desujodha village on Saturday, assuring residents that clean water supply would be restored, healthcare services reinforced, and all medical expenses for affected patients covered by the administration.
