36 patients discharged from District Hospital Longleng; condition of remaining 10 stable

DIMAPUR— At least 36 patients, who were undergoing treatment at District Hospital Longleng for suspected food poisoning, have recovered and discharged from the hospital while the remaining 10 others are also recovering well and in stable condition.

Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) of Longleng district, Throngdiba Tongpi T. Sangtam, updated this to Eastern Mirror on Monday.

Dozens of people from Pongching village, mostly youth, were admitted to District Hospital Longleng on June 16 due to vomiting and diarrhoea, reportedly after consuming fish bought from a local shopkeeper, during a social work.

Sangtam said that the number of people admitted to the district hospital was initially 44 but it increased to 46 after two more were brought in to the hospital for the same symptoms.

Regarding cause of the illness, he said the test results of food sample, which was sent to the State Public Health Laboratory in Kohima on June 17, were still awaited and that it might take some time to arrive.

The official also informed that a letter had been sent to the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) requesting it to conduct tests on water samples at the PHED laboratory in order to assess the water quality as well.

The Superintendent of Police, Longleng, also had updated last weekend that samples of fish, both cooked and raw, from a local market had been sent for testing and further investigation was on in regard to a possible mass food poisoning.

Related news: 44 villagers admitted to hospital after consuming fish in Longleng

NH-702 still blocked

When asked about a rock slide that has affected traffic movement along the National Highway 702 (NH-702), Sangtam said the clearing of mud and rock debris was still in progress and that they were trying to create a passage for one-way vehicular movement by Monday.

However, he said it is difficult to give an exact timeframe for completing the clearing work as rock debris continues to fall. He added that it could take a week or even a month, based on the prevailing weather conditions, to clear it.

It may be mentioned that Longleng Deputy Commissioner Dharam Raj had earlier last week suspended the movement of vehicles and public on two-kilometre stretch from Changtongya towards Longleng along the NH-702 till further order, saying that it was necessary to clear the obstructing soil and rock debris caused by a rock slide.