KARACHI, June 5: Cases of gastroenteritis are on the rise once again in Karachi due to severe hot and humid weather, particularly among children, inquiries at various city hospitals revealed. Doctors at the hospitals attributed increase in the number of diarrhoea and vomiting patients to carelessness in consuming food and water. “People must avoid consuming food stuff and water, which are unfit,” they warned.

Dr Iqbal Memon, head of the Paediatrics Department, Civil Hospital Karachi, said the number of gastroenteritis patients at his ward had increased significantly.

In comparison with January and February’s entries, figures had doubled up during April and May, he added, and mentioned that it was a normal trend, as cases increased at the hospital whenever there was hot season and water scarcity problems.

The emergency patient wards at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and the National Institute of Child Health also reported increases.

A personnel at the NICH’s emergency said increase in cases of diarrhoea and vomiting cases were on the increase for the last some days. There was a substantial increase on Friday too, he said.

However, she said that most patients were released after being hydrated, while those with severe diarrhoea were retained for intensive support. Cases of the elderly and infants were also received at the JPMC, said an attendant, mentioning that there was a mixed trend.

In addition to the carelessness in consuming eatables, experts said the supply of substandard drinking water was also to be blamed for the increase in the episodes. Even subsoil water was contaminated.

On the other hand, children in some parts of the city also played in puddles or stagnant water to beat the heat and invited waterborne diseases as well.

The short supply of water and gap in pumping of water in lines also resulted in drying-up of the lines, laid some 35-50 years back, and had mostly become decayed.

In the absence of water from pumping stations seepage and sewerage water easily found their way into the inferior supply lines and mix up with drinking water, which was consumed by residents in the end.