Over 1,500 patients with gastro reported at PIMS in a week

Islamabad: The public sector hospitals in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been receiving greater number of patients with gastroenteritis, also known as gastro since the advent of Ramazan and the number of patients is continuously on the rise.Data collected by ‘The News’ on Tuesday has revealed that Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences has received well over 1500 patients with gastro in last one week or so taking the total number of patients reported at PIMS in the month of Ramazan to over 5,000.According to health experts, the number of patients with gastro is on the rise mainly because of careless attitude of public towards diet.In most of the reported cases of gastro during Ramazan at PIMS, the number one cause of the disease was found to be food poisoning while the main factor among fasting patients was dehydration, said official spokesman at PIMS Dr. Waseem Khawaja while talking to ‘The News’ on Tuesday.The PIMS has provided treatment to well over 5000 patients with gastro in emergency in last four weeks and most of the patients reached hospital after ‘iftar’, in the evening, he said.He said the PIMS received majority of gastro patients with complaints of vomiting, fever, diarrhoea and dehydration along with lowering of blood pressure. To avoid complications, individuals suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting must avoid loss of fluids and electrolytes, he said. “Such patients should take plenty of fluids and ORS for at least three days.”It is important that diarrhoea and vomiting is called ‘stomach flu’, and these symptoms are often due to a condition called gastroenteritis with which the stomach and intestines are irritated and inflamed.The most important preventive measure to avoid gastro particularly the water and food borne infections, individuals should avoid eating unhygienic food at home and at vendors during and after Ramazan, said Dr. Khawaja. He added people should boil drinking water for at least five minutes and then use it after cooling.

from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2JXlZap