LAHORE: A number of children suffering from gastroenteritis and diarrhoea have been admitted to government and private hospitals after a sudden increase in the temperature across the city. Sources said that more than 600 patients suffering from gastroenteritis and diarrhoea had visited different city hospitals’ emergency wards during the last 24 hours, while the number of patients admitted to private hospitals was more than that at public hospitals. After the temperature continued to rise during the past few weeks, citizens enjoyed the last few days as the weather turned pleasant, with spells of rain. During that time, scores of families were seen visiting public places, especially parks and the zoo, to enjoy their leisure time. However, all that happiness ended soon, with the return of the heat wave. Moreover, frequent load shedding and subsequent water shortage across the city made the people’s lives a living hell. Cases of diarrhoea also increased in the city due to the scorching heat, which made the people consume contaminated water in the form of substandard roadside drinks and ice-pops. Children have suffered the most, while according to hospital sources, they were receiving almost the double the number of patients than usual. Children Hospital’s Prof Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore said they had provided intravenous fluids and adequate stocks of antibiotics to the Emergency Department to avoid delay in treatment of patients. He said that to avoid diarrhoea, children should be given water for drinking after boiling, while boiled water should be used for preparing formula milk for infants. He said that water given to children must be brought to ‘rolling boil’ for 5-10 minutes; otherwise it might not be safe for a child to consume. He said that mothers should wash hands with soup before preparing milk for infants, while children should be made habitual of washing their hands with soup before and after eating and after using the loo. He added that fresh milk and food should be given to infants and children each time, while consumption of leftover food should be avoided. According to health experts, gastro was common among uneducated people and the poor. They said the number of gastro patients increased in the monsoon season due to hot and humid weather. Children between five months and nine years of age could easily fall prey to it, they added. They said that such diseases attack those children who are not getting enough food or not getting the right sort of food. They said that even if the people get enough to eat, they could become malnourished if the food they eat did not provide the proper amounts of micronutrients – vitamins and minerals – to meet their daily nutritional requirements. Medical superintendents at Children Hospital, Mayo Hospital and Jinnah Hospital said that the city was again in the grip of hot and humid weather, and that a number of gastro patients were visiting the hospitals on a daily basis. They said that the use of unhygienic food and drinks, especially contaminated water, was the main reason behind the speedy spread of this disease. They also said that potable water should be boiled before use, and that the people should avoid eating substandard food items, including openly available sliced fruits, juices and cold drinks. They said that most of the patients suffering from gastro and diarrhoea were visiting hospitals with complaints of severe stomachache, vomiting and dehydration. They further said that gastroenteritis could cause death in case of severe infection or dehydration, but it could be easily avoided by taking prophylactic measures. They said that any child or elder suffering from gastro should not visit quacks or private hospitals because they treated most of the patients with ringer drips, flagyl and ORS, which could be more dangerous for the patients. They advised that gastro patients should immediately be taken to government hospitals for proper treatment.