KARACHI, July 6: Officials in the provincial health department said on Friday that as many as 971 patients suffering from gastroenteritis or diarrhoea were brought to various provincial and district government hospitals in the city over the last 24 hours ending at noon. Out of them, 59 had to be admitted, they added.

The figures show a 29 per cent surge in comparison to those of Wednesday and Thursday which reflects no improvement in the quality drinking water and persisting unhygienic conditions in the city, according to an expert.

In all 1,967 cases of diarrhoea and gastroenteritis were reported at the government sector healthcare facilities in Sindh over the past 24 hours ending at noon on Friday.

As many as 996 patients were taken to hospitals in the interior of Sindh and a 53-year-old man reportedly died in Tando Allahyar, said a deputy secretary in the health department, Dr Shakeel A. Mullick.

A total of 149 cases were reported at Qatar Hospital (Orangi Town). It was followed by the Civil Hospital (127), Children Hospital North Nazimabad (72), New Karachi Hospital (57), Lyari General Hospital (53) and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (43).

Dr Mullick said that in addition to the monitoring of the situation, the health department was keeping a vigil on an outbreak of the viral haemorrhagic fever.

He pointed out that five government hospitals – the CHK, Sindh Services Hospital, Lyari General Hospital, New Karachi Hospital and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital – were offering free serological tests for dengue virus.