PESHAWAR:
The outbreak of gastroenteritis on an epidemic scale has been recorded in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), with 19,534 cases reported from hospitals across the province in just 14 days.
The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response report of the K-P Health Department indicates that cases of gastroenteritis have been reported in various hospitals between February 24 and March 2.
Out of 2,082 hospitals and medical centres in the province, 1,826 have reported gastro cases.
According to the report, the highest number of infected cases were reported from Peshawar with 2,591.
Similarly, 1,913 cases have been reported from Charsadda, 1,369 from Swat, 120 from DI Khan, 1,086 from Nowshera, and 1,012 from Lower Dir.
Moreover, 8,367 cases of respiratory diseases were recorded across the province. Approximately 3,845 people were affected by mosquito- and fly-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and leishmaniasis.
The report also documented 722 cases of zoonotic diseases, 16 cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and 645 cases of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Last year in July, a spike in the cases of gastroenteritis and diarrhea was reported due to severe heatwaves and humidity across K-P.
Official sources told The Express Tribune that most patients in hospital emergency departments had been found to be suffering from gastroenteritis and diarrhea.
In various hospitals across the province, 25,996 cases have been reported in a week, many of them also suffering from severe dysentery.
According to the health department, most of the gastroenteritis and diarrhea cases have been reported from Dir Lower, Peshawar, Mardan, Abbottabad, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and DI Khan. These areas are in the grip of heatwaves, and prolonged load-shedding has added to the woes of the locals.
According to last week’s report from the provincial health department, the highest number of affected cases has emerged from Peshawar. 3,282 affected individuals have been brought to hospitals and medical centres in Peshawar for treatment.
An official said figures from major hospitals had not been included and the emergency wards of those hospitals were brimming with such patients.
Due to the lack of space in some hospitals’ medical wards, patients are being accommodated in other wards where many have complained about the lack of attention from medical staff.
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