Gastroenteritis, waterborne diseases surge in Upper Dir

Cases of gastroenteritis and other waterborne diseases have continued to rise in different areas of Upper Dir, with hundreds of people, including children, women and elderly persons, being admitted to hospitals over the past three days.

Health officials said a large number of patients from Ashirei Dara, Sheringal, Barawal, Dir and other areas were reporting to hospitals with symptoms including severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal complications.

District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Khalid Khan said water samples had been collected from 40 locations across the district and sent to Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar, for testing. Of these, 29 samples were declared unsafe for human consumption.

He said three patients had tested positive for cholera, while other cases were attributed to diseases caused by contaminated water.

Dr Khalid said the health department was closely monitoring the situation and that the outbreak was currently under control. Patients with severe symptoms were being admitted to hospitals, while those with mild symptoms were discharged after receiving treatment.

According to the DHO, the outbreak has persisted for around one and a half months, during which more than 2,000 patients suffering from gastroenteritis and related diseases have been treated.

He said the Tehsil Municipal Administration had chlorinated water sources in affected areas after receiving the laboratory reports, but added that chlorination was not a permanent solution to the problem.

District Headquarters Hospital Dir Medical Superintendent Dr Imtiaz said more than 100 patients with similar symptoms were being brought to the hospital every day.

He expressed concern over the large number of children among the affected patients and urged parents to take particular care of drinking water and hygiene.

Following reports of the outbreak, Upper Dir Deputy Commissioner Manzoor Ahmed Afridi directed the relevant departments to take immediate measures. A mobile water-testing laboratory of the Public Health Engineering Department also reached Ashirei Dara and collected samples from different locations to identify sources of contamination.