Penza, 29 May 2012. PenzaNews. Enteric infections sickness rate increased 1.5 times for 4 months of 2012 in comparison with the similar period of the previous year in the Penza region. The Minister of Health and Social development of the region Vladimir Stryuchkov reported about it during the working meeting of governor Vasily Bochkarev on Tuesday, May 29.

“The quantity of enteric infections cases increased by 1 thousand, there were 2 thousand cases in the previous year and 3 thousand this year,” explained the minister.

According to the chief of the department of Russian Agency for Health and Consumer Rights for the Penza region Alexander Dmitriev, 40 thousand cases of various infectious diseases have been registered this year in the region.

“Infectious diseases happened due to environment conditions in 30% cases, it’s mainly connected with bad quality of drinking water,” informed Alexander Dmitriev.

He reported that 201 km out of 780 km of pipes must be changed, 329 km need capital repairing.

“I regularly inform appropriate authorities about this situation in written form, however, I got only negative replies to these letters,” said the chief of the department of the Russian Agency for Health and Consumer Rights.

The governor of the Penza region Vasily Bochkarev ordered representatives of federal and regional departments to quit correspondence and start to solve problems together.