KARACHI, May 26: Doctors at major government hospitals referring to the recent increase in gastroenteritis cases termed it a normal trend and said that most of the patients were discharged from the hospitals the same day.

Doctors concerned at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the Civil Hospital Karachi told Dawn on Friday that during the last three days they received 25 to 30 patients daily on an average, but none of the patients was brought in critical condition.

At the National Institute of Child Health, a doctor said that about 20 patients with complaints of diarrhoea or vomiting were brought to the centre on Friday, but none of them was reported with serious condition.

A JPMC doctor said that there was nothing abnormal, if the cases reported in the months of April, May and June in previous years were taken into consideration. However, people should avoid taking unfit food and drinks and avoid exposure to heat for a longer period, the doctor observed.

According to Dr Tariq Kamal, patients were brought to the Civil Hospital from Lyari, Bhit Shah, Usmanabad and other surrounding areas on Friday. He said that no death due to gastro was reported so far.

At Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Medical Superintendent Dr Masrooruddin said that the situation was not very much alarming as patients of gastro were being attended in routine and sent back to homes after being hydrated. They are advised to consume boiled water for the time being, he added.

Doctors in general were of the view that cases of gastroenteritis increased due to severe hot and humid weather and also due to unfit water or ill-prepared cold drinks and ice-lollies. They attributed diarrhoea and vomiting in patients to carelessness in consuming food and water.

In addition, doctors also blamed the supply of substandard drinking water for the increase in the episodes. Even subsoil water is contaminated.

About gastroenteritis cases in children, it was observed that they played in puddles or stagnant water to beat the heat and invited waterborne diseases.

The short supply of water and gap in pumping of water in lines also resulted in drying-up of the lines, laid some 35 to 50 years back. In the absence of water from pumping stations seepage and sewerage water easily find their way into the inferior supply lines and mix up with drinking water, which is consumed by tail-end residents, commented a senior citizen in Lyari vicinity.