410 gastro patients admitted to Multan hospitals

MULTAN: The people experienced the warmest day of the current summer as the mercury touched 46 degree Celsius on Saturday.

The Met Office predicted further rise in temperature and said that the mercury could touch 47 degree Celsius on Sunday. The temperature would remain between 44 degree to 46 degree Celsius in the next seven days. However, the Met Office predicted that the temperature would remain below than 46 degree Celsius till the end of June. Meanwhile, 410 gastro patients were admitted to the Nishtar Hospital, Shahbaz Sharif Hospital, Civil Hospital and Children Complex.

The hospitals predicted rise in the number of gastro patients in the coming days. More than 900 gastro patients had been reported in the Multan hospitals last year. Senior physician at Nishtar Hospital Dr Imran Rafiq said that gastroenteritis was a waterborne disease usually occurs in hot humid environment and all age group people may suffer from it.

Preventive measures depend upon personal good hygiene, intake of freshly prepared food, he added.

Dr Imran Rafiq suggested the citizens to wash hands properly before oral intake. Drink clean safe water and avoid junk food, he said. Another senior physician at the Nishtar Hospital Dr Sheikh Abdul Khaliq asked the citizens to avoid use of unhygienic and unhealthy food and fruits, wash hands, increase fluid intake, ORS and avoiding from sun exposure.

Health practitioners observed that the gastro attacks intestine. The patient feels abdominal cramps and pain, nausea, vomiting or both.

The gastro victim experiences occasional muscle aches or headache and low-grade fever.

The leading cause of viral gastroenteritis in infants and young children, usually appear one to three days after exposure.