50 Jaundice cases in 20 days at Jamalpur ward, 7-year-old dies

In the Jamalpur ward of Ahmedabad, more than 50 cases of jaundice have been reported in just 20 days, raising the alarms.

A 7-year-old girl who was affected by jaundice was admitted to SVP (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel)  Hospital, but she could not survive and passed away.

These cases are allegedly due to the poor water supply in the area.

Two years ago,the then-Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner M Thennarasan announced a ₹450 crore project to install new drainage pipelines in Jamalpur, Khadia, Shahibaug, Asarwa, and Shahpur wards.

After which just 2-3 days ago, work to install a new drainage line finally began in the area.

Jamalpur ward councillor Rafiq Sheikh has alleged that residents have been receiving polluted water and have been complaining for the past two years, yet the issue remains unresolved.

Most of the jaundice cases have been reported near Kharu Canal, Jamalpur, including several children: 5-year-old Hasna Memon, 8-year-old Shafa Memon, 11-year-old Sunhara Azharuddin, and 4-year-old Alikhan Azharuddin.

At five hospitals under the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC), 18,292 cases of jaundice have been registered over the past 10 years, with 253 reported deaths.