BADIN, May 11: Gastroenteritis has claimed lives of four children in Shadi Large during the past three days as hot weather, unavailability of clean drinking water and lack of proper medical facilities have compounded the miseries of residents of the town .

The deceased included Kirshan, 6, Punhoon, 5, and two minor daughters of Moosa Lund and Jumo Lund, respectively, whose names could not be ascertained.

The area residents, contacted by this correspondent, said that they had been experiencing extremely hot weather during the past two weeks.

Criticizing officials of the irrigation department, they said that water supply to Shadi Large had been exhausted in the wake of extraordinary delay in water supply to Shadi Large Wah because of unfair water rotation, adding that water had not been supplied in the waterway for the past one month.

They said that because of the continuing water crisis, the people had been forced to purchase water taken from stagnant sources, for drinking purposes, which was unfit for human consumption.

Doctors at hospitals in Khoski told this correspondent that they were treating at least two dozen patients, mostly children, from Shadi Large town and adjoining villages. They said that many of the patients complained of bloated stomachs, weight loss and a tasteless mouth, symptoms often attributed to hepatitis and consumption of the unfit drinking water.

One of the doctors blamed the increase in infant mortality to diarrhoea and dehydration resulting from gastroenteritis.

Stressing the need for taking preventive measures in this regard, he said that major contributing factors to gastroenteritis were absence of potable water supply, insanitation, malnutrition and lack of adequate healthcare facilities in remote areas.