May 16, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1428

LAHORE, May 15: An average 100 gastroenteritis patients, half of them children, are visiting the emergency of each major hospital in the city, Dawn learnt on Tuesday.

Besides, the general practitioners are reportedly treating an average 20 to 30 such patients.

Lahore General Hospital Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Ziaullah Cheema said over 100 people visited the hospital daily with complaint of gastroenteritis. He said most of such patients were discharged after the first aid while the serious ones recovered in two to three days.

“We can’t call it epidemic as the situation is not unusual during this period of the summer,” Dr Cheema said, advising the people to use boiled or filtered water and also avoid taking spoilt food and exposure to heat for long duration.

Dr Naushad at the emergency of the Services Hospital said over 150 patients suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting were visiting the facility daily. However, most of them were not in serious condition, he added.

Dr Rauf of Shalamar Hospital said more than 80 gastroenteritis patients, mostly children, were being admitted to it every day since the beginning of hot and humid weather. He held contaminated water of the adjoining areas responsible for increase in stomach-related diseases.

Similarly more or less number of such patients is being brought to the Mayo, Sir Ganga Ram and Jinnah hospitals daily.

Surprisingly, Dr Riaz at the emergency of the Shaikh Zayed hospital claimed that only “two to three” gastroenteritis patients were visiting the facility daily. When asked the number was too fewer than in other major hospitals in the city, he said the situation here was otherwise.

SZH administrator Dr Saboor said he could not tell the exact number without checking the record.

Dr Muhammad Amir, who runs his clinic in the Walled City (Sheranwala Gate), said an average 30 gastroenteritis patients (mostly children) come to his clinic daily. He said if the government did not take necessary measures to provide clean water to the residents of the northern part of the city, an epidemic could break out.

On the other hand, the prices of essential medicines for the patients suffering from gastroenteritis have increased since the arrival of the summer season. Ashiq Butt, a chemist at Lohari, told this reporter that IV Fluids for example Ringer’s lactate 1,000 CC or 500 CC was available in the market at Rs650 a box of 20 drips. “Before the summer it was available at Rs530.” He predicted that the price would further increase in June and July.

The increase in the prices of essential medicines shows that the government has no control over the prices of drugs what doctors call life-saving ones.