A severe diarrhoeal disease outbreak in Indore's Bhagirathpura locality has exposed critical failures in the city's water supply system, leading to multiple hospitalizations and severe health complications, including liver abscess. As of this afternoon, 16 patients from the affected area were undergoing treatment at Aurobindo Hospital, with personal accounts painting a grim picture of long-term negligence and its devastating consequences.
Patients Detail Severe Health Impacts and Long-Term Neglect
The crisis came to light around a week ago, with one of the initial and most severe cases being that of 62-year-old Raju Yadav, a retired employee of a pharmaceutical company. Yadav was first admitted to Verma Hospital on December 28 after reporting severe stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea. His condition worsened, and he was referred to Aurobindo Hospital on December 31.
Yadav is currently being treated for two serious conditions: a liver abscess, which is a pus-filled mass in the liver, and acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestinal lining. His treatment requires a plastic pipe to be inserted into his stomach to drain pus into a bag. A doctor on duty, speaking anonymously, confirmed that both conditions can be caused by contaminated water and that a link to the local water quality in Bhagirathpura cannot be ruled out.
Another patient, 45-year-old Kunti Sunhare, who was under treatment for over a week, revealed that residents have been complaining about sewage-mixed water flowing from their taps for the last six months, with no resolution from authorities. This persistent issue points to a systemic failure that preceded the current outbreak.
Socio-Economic Fallout and Broader Community Strain
The health emergency has triggered immediate financial and social struggles for the affected families. Sunil Singh Bhadoriya, a rented auto-rickshaw driver and sole breadwinner for his family of five, is worried about his lost daily income. Despite his family taking precautions by purchasing RO water for drinking, he still fell ill and was hospitalized. While treatment is free, he fears the ancillary costs. "I am worried to bear other expenses due to poor financial condition... I might have to take loans to return my life to normalcy," he stated.
The outbreak has also disrupted family life. Kusum Verma, an Anganwadi worker admitted on January 1, suspects she contracted the infection while distributing coconuts in the field and drinking water at local houses. Living alone with her young daughter, she was forced to send her child to maternal relatives after the outbreak began.
The crisis has drawn family members from other cities for support. Pinki Namdeo's father, Santosh Singh Namdeo, travelled from Gwalior to assist his daughter. He squarely blamed the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and elected public representatives for the situation caused by contaminated water.
Official Response and Medical Assessment
According to Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Madhav Hasani, most patients admitted from Bhagirathpura were suffering from dehydration, a common and dangerous consequence of diarrhoeal diseases. The concentration of cases from a single locality strongly points to a common source of infection, with the water supply being the prime suspect.
The accounts from patients at Aurobindo Hospital highlight a range of severe medical conditions and underscore the profound socio-economic impact of the outbreak. The situation in Bhagirathpura serves as a stark warning about the deep fault-lines in the city's water infrastructure and the urgent need for accountability and sustainable solutions to prevent such public health emergencies in the future.
