Health authorities on Saturday dispatched emergency medical teams to the Torkham border area following a suspected cholera outbreak that claimed the life of a labourer and affected several residents, including women and children.
According to officials, a labourer identified as Haji Khan died a day earlier, while a number of people in Bacha Maina village reportedly developed symptoms associated with the water-borne disease. In response, the District Health Department sent a medical team comprising physician Dr Khalid Saleem, paramedics and support staff to the affected locality. Tehsildar Torkham Zaibullah Afridi and local elders also accompanied the team during the visit.
A free medical camp was established in the village, where more than 200 patients, including men, women and children, were examined and provided with medicines. Meanwhile, a team from the Public Health Department collected water samples from the area and sent them to a laboratory for testing to determine the cause of the suspected outbreak. Officials said residents would be informed once the test results were received.
Local residents appreciated the swift response of the Health Department in dispatching medical personnel and setting up the free camp to provide timely treatment and preventive care to the affected population.
