Hyderabad: Another case of sporadic cholera was recently detected in the city when a 24-year-old pregnant woman from Aziz Bagh in Tolichowki had to be rushed in a critical condition to Century Hospital.
The nine-month pregnant woman had complained of severe diarrhoea. Dr Sunil T. Pandya, medical director and director of anesthesia in the hospital, said, “The woman was badly dehydrated and suffered from shock and kidney malfunction.
Had the family brought her even two hours later, it would have been difficult to save her. An emergency C-section was performed and the baby too had suffered from fetal distress because of the mother’s condition. The child had to be kept in neo-natal care for three days.”
The baby still has low blood pressure but doctors say that it will be stabilised in a week or two. According to doctors, after the surgery too, the woman’s extreme diarrhoea continued and she had to be given 15 litres of fluid per day to stabilize her. It took three days to stabilise the young woman.
Given her watery stools, the hospital tested her for cholera and the results came back positive. The family members of the woman said that a day before the incident they had attended a wedding.
Pregnant woman vulnerable
One of the family members of the woman said, “No one else was affected. The doctors have advised us to get the drinking water tested.”
The woman was admitted on July 15 and the hospital stated that they informed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation health department on July 17 once the tests confirmed cholera.
Dr Pandya said, “Pregnant women are immune compromised, hence it is very important for them to ensure that they carry their own water bottles, especially in the rainy season. We suspect water contamination led to this severe condition.”
Deputy general manager of Water Board Mr Khaja Johar of Toli Chowki said, “There is no problem with the water in Toli Chowki. It is being chlorinated. We will still collect samples as the case has come to our notice now.”
District medical and health officials of Hyderabad division were not notified by the GHMC but when Deccan Chronicle called them they said that water samples would be collected and tested.
