Diarrhea and gastroenteritis cases on the rise in Karachi

KARACHI:The water and food borne disease cases has surged across Karachi after heavy monsoon rains as upto 15,000 adults and children with diarrhea, typhoid and gastroenteritis have been brought to public sector health facilities during the last 10 days.

A survey of government hospitals revealed that gastroenteritis patients, including adults and children, were brought to the hospitals during the last 10 days from different localities, including Lyari, Macchar Colony, North Karachi, New Karachi, Keamari, Malir, Korangi, Federal B Area, Orangi Town and other areas of the city.

Experts said presently, the city was facing all kinds of environmental problems, including drinking water contamination and inadequate water supply; therefore, water born diseases had increased by 50 to 75 per cent following the recent spell of monsoon rains.

As per data obtained from different hospitals, over 4,000 adults and children were brought to Civil Hospital Karachi in last 10 days with waterborne diseases,3500 to National Institute of Child Health(NICH), 3,000 to Abbasi shaheed Hospital, 2,000 to Lyari General Hospital, 3,000 to Sindh Government Children Hospital and others.

According to health experts, waterborne diseases may be endemic in Karachi as more rains are expected in the city in coming days and there is a dire need to remain watchful about gastroenteritis, typhoid and cholera, which is among the main waterborne diseases.

A doctor said that diarrhoea, high fever and typhoid are the result of the monsoon. The actual figure of such affectees is more.