With water- and mosquito-borne diseases on the rise, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani reportedly pulled up senior health officials on Thursday for allegedly downplaying case numbers to suggest the outbreak was under control.
Pani instructed the Medical Officer to ensure accurate reporting of data, including cases from private doctors and hospitals.
The Health Department has identified 27 high-risk areas across the city for cholera and jaundice this post-monsoon season. Persistent monsoon-like weather even after Diwali has triggered a surge in viral fever, cough, cold, and water-borne infections.
According to data presented at the review meeting, the department tested 5.22 lakh water samples this year. Of these, 751 samples (0.14%) lacked chlorine, while 578 out of 66,853 samples (0.86%) were found unfit for use.
The Commissioner directed the Health and Engineering Departments to urgently identify and repair water and drainage leakages in all high-risk areas.