BADIN, May 27: Public and private hospitals in the district have reported increase in the number of gastroenteritis patients, most of whom are children.

Doctors said on Saturday the disease was caused by change in weather and drinking contaminated and polluted water.

Dr Nusrat Hussain Khwaja and Dr Muneer Bhurgri warned that cases of gastroenteritis would continue to emerge for one more month.

They said that the disease spread during summer helped by unhygienic water and insanitation and advised people to use clean water and avoid stale food and fruits.

The Civil Hospital used to receive 10-15 gastro patients before the start of summer. The number has now soared to 20-25 patients.

At present, more than 50 gastro patients, most of them children, are under treatment at Badin Civil Hospital.

Health care centres and dispensaries in Talhar, Tando Bago and Golarchi, too, have reported a rise in the number of gastro patients.