New cases deepen Indore panic

The public health crisis triggered by contaminated drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area continues to escalate, with a sharp spike in new patients exposing the fragile state of civic preparedness and deepening public anxiety.

- FPJ News Service

On Saturday alone, around 200 fresh patients — including 38 children — were reported across government and private hospitals, marking the highest single-day rise in the past week and raising fears that the full impact of the outbreak is still unfolding.

Health officials acknowledge that such a sudden surge indicates ongoing exposure to contaminated water and lingering transmission. A day earlier, on Friday, as many as 518 patients had been admitted — 310 in private hospitals and 208 in government facilities. The addition of 200 more cases within 24 hours has stretched medical infrastructure and intensified panic among residents already grappling with fear and uncertainty.

The Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Bhagirathpura remains the first point of contact for many patients and is witnessing a steady inflow. While doctors say the number of critical cases has declined, mild but persistent symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, cold and cough continue to be widely reported, particularly among children.

Paediatric cases with mild symptoms are being managed at the PHC itself, while doctors from Nandanagar Maternity Hospital and other government facilities have been deployed to handle the swelling numbers.