Daily Times

LAHORE: Dozens of gastroenteritis patients were admitted in government and private hospitals in the city due to overeating in fasting month of Ramazan.

Giving break up, sources said that around 189 gastro patients were admitted in Jinnah Hospital, 182 in Services Hospital, 185 in Sheikh Zyed Hospital, 177 in General Hospital, 172 in Ganga Ram Hospital, 171 in Wapda Complex, 175 in Government Nawaz Sharif Social Security Hospital, 162 in Government Saad Mitha Hospital, 159 in Kot Khwaja Saeed Hospital, 153 in Government Teaching Hospital Shadra, 148 in Government Nawaz Sharif Hospital Yakki Gate, 99 in Government Mozang Hospital, 74 in Doctors Hospitals, 55 in Model Town Co-operative Society Hospital, while more than 600 children suffering from gastroenteritis were admitted in different private hospitals.

Health experts were of the view that number of gastro patients increase in the monsoon season due to hot and humid weather. Children between five months to nine years of age could easily fell prey to it, they said.

They said that lack of immunisation campaign led to outbreak of seasonal epidemic.

They were of the view that children who could not get sufficient food might fell easy pretty to the disease.

According to the administrations of different city hospitals, they have received thousands of gastroenteritis patients mainly children during last few days, while thousands of other patients were brought to different private hospitals across the city in the same period.

Medical superintendents of Children Hospital, Mayo Hospital and Jinnah Hospitals said that hot weather again increased in the city and a number of gastro patients were visiting the hospital. They said that unhygienic food, drinks and polluted water were the main reasons behind the speedy spread of the disease. They said that people should avoid eating substandard food items and cold drinks.

Health experts said that the Punjab Food Department had failed to maintain a proper check on sale of unhygienic and substandard food in the city. “Had the department taken precautionary steps, the number of gastro patients would have been much less,” they added.

They said that leaking sewage pipes were allowing dirty water to seep into drinking water pipes, thus causing an increase in waterborne diseases. They said that release of industrial effluent into the ground water must be checked immediately.