20-year-old man dies of gastro in Kasur

Health experts say consumption of unhygienic food major cause of such diseases

KASUR: A man died of gastro while several others remain hospitalised due to dysentery and vomiting in Kasur on Friday. The gastro epidemic is spreading as several patients have been admitted to different hospitals in the district.

Officials told Express News that 20-year old Waseem, a resident of Targah village, was admitted to a hospital after being infected by gastro. However, the victim succumbed to the infection just hours after his admission.

The police handed over the body to the heirs after completing legal formalities.



Last year’s official record of the health department revealed that at least 193,117 acute diarrhoea patients (viral gastroenteritis) were admitted to government-run hospitals in Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Kasur, Khanewal, Layyah, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupra, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Bhakkar, Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, Lodran Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Nankana Sahib and other cities.

The highest number of patients suffering from the disease was reported in Lahore, followed by DG Khan, Sheikhupura, Multan, Bahawalpur and Faisalabad.

Medical experts were of the view the consumption of unhygienic food, drinks and contaminated water were the major causes of such infectious diseases. They said the majority of the patients fall victim to such diseases due to extremely hot weather conditions and the use of contaminated water.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2019.