LAHORE: A large number of patients were admitted to public sector hospitals with stomach-related complaints during Eid holidays.

A majority of patients was taken to emergency departments of Mayo, Jinnah and Services hospitals where absence of senior doctors also multiplied their problems.

Some doctors said that overeating on the eve of Eid and gastroenteritis due to the rainy season led to rapid increase in the number of patients.

Mayo Hospital attended 1,800 patients while Jinnah and Services received 1,500 and 1,400 patients, respectively, during the first two days of Eid. Most of the patients were of diabetes, heart and blood pressure.

A doctor at Mayo Hospital said half-cooked meat and unhygienic conditions due to stagnant rainwater were the leading causes of indigestion and gastro-related problems.

Dr Shabbir Chaudhry of Jinnah Hospital said most of the patients complained of waterborne diseases, mainly diarrhea and skin allergies.

“Overeating in hotels and restaurants was another major issue that caused stomach-related diseases,” he said adding mosquitoes breeding would be a major threat during the ongoing rainy season if proper measures were not taken by the people.

He said senior doctors were not assigned duties in the roasters finalised by the hospital administration for Eid holidays.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014