Public health: Over 1,500 land in city hospitals during Eid holidays

Health Dept spokesman says all hospitals ran smoothly

LAHORE: More than 1,500 people were admitted to city hospitals due to food poisoning, gastroenteritis and road accidents during Eid holidays.

At least 120 people were admitted to various hospitals for orthopaedic surgery and 90 people were brought to emergency wards with injuries caused by knives during animal slaughtering.

Dr Salman Kazmi of Mayo Hospital said that 51 of the people who were brought to the hospital were injured in road accidents. He said that 20 people were brought in for orthopaedic surgery. “At least 300 gastro patients were brought to the hospital in three days. The hospital treated 20 people who had suffered cuts while slaughtering animals,” he said.

“At least 100 gastro patients and 30 people injured in road accidents were admitted to Jinnah Hospital,” said Dr Asad Ali who was treating patients at the emergency ward. He said that hospital staff had attended to more than 500 people in emergency wards during Eid holidays. He said that many people suffering from indigestion, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea had visited the hospital during Eid holidays. “The emergency ward was jam-packed with patients on the first day of Eid,” he said. He said that overeating and spicy food had landed most of these people in the hospital.

Dr Azeem, who was on call at Services Hospital during Eid holidays, said the hospital administration had called him in due to a huge rush of people suffering from knife injuries, road accidents and gastro. “The rush at the emergency wards reflects on our social behaviour,” he said. “Doctors advised people to eat moderately, but to no avail,” he added.

Health Department spokesperson Akhlaq Ali Khan said that doctors and paramedics had served people in a timely manner during Eid holidays. “All medicines were available and all hospitals worked smoothly,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2016.