"Eight tribal people have died since Saturday morning following an outbreak of diarrhoea in nine villages spread out in five different blocks in Bastar district," S.M.M. Murthy, a senior doctor with the epidemic section of Chhattisgarh's Directorate of Health Services, told IANS by phone.

He stated that 560 cases of diarrhoea were reported between Saturday morning and Monday afternoon in Bastar and more than 50 patients were taken to a government hospital at Kondagaon after they complained of consistent vomiting.

"Doctors and health workers have reached the affected villages and they are holding house-to-house contacts to identify diarrhoea patients," Murthy informed.

"District health authorities have been deputed to hold camps in each of the nine affected villages and take serious patients to the government hospital for urgent medical help."

Source-IANS
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