Rawalpindi: Water and food-borne diseases including diarrhoea and gastrointestinal infections may hit the population hard in this region of the country in next two to three weeks as the existing hot weather conditions are conducive and much favourable for growth of microorganisms.
The situation regarding spread of summer-related health threats is well under control at the moment, at least, in this region of the country and almost all public sector hospitals in town including Holy Family Hospital are receiving routine influx of patients with diarrhoeal diseases, said Medical Superintendent at HFH Dr. Ijaz Butt while talking to ‘The News’ on Friday.
He, however, added that the change in weather conditions hints that there would be a surge in the number of cases of diarrhoea, gastroenteritis and other summer-related health threats including enteric fever, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis A & E etc by the end of May. It is time to make people aware of the possible health threats and their complications, he said.
The incidences of diarrhoeal diseases are already on the rise in most parts of the country though the conditions for spread of gastrointestinal infections in this part of the country may be favourable after two to three weeks. With the onset of hot weather in the region, the three teaching hospitals in town along with private healthcare facilities start receiving a huge number of patients with diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal infections.
Dr. Butt said the people who are immunocompromised along with children and infants are at greater risk of contracting gastrointestinal infections. The spread of diarrhoeal diseases reported every year during hot weather conditions is mainly because of lack of awareness among the public on how to avoid the infections. People must be aware of the fact that consumption of unhygienic food and unsafe drinking water play major role in spread of gastroenteritis and bacterial infections, he said.
Health experts say that dehydration is also common in infants and young children who develop viral gastroenteritis or bacterial infection. Patients with mild dehydration may experience thirst and dry mouth only but moderate to severe dehydration may cause orthostatic hypotension with syncope, fainting upon standing due to a reduced volume of blood which causes drop in blood pressure while standing. Severe dehydration may cause a diminished urine output, severe weakness, shock, kidney failure, confusion and coma.
Dr. Butt said it is time to educate the public particularly women and children to observe hand hygiene, avoid sweet drinks from vendors and avoid taking water from open containers and use properly washed fruits and vegetables. People should use safe drinking water, sterilized by boiling or chlorination, he said.
It is important that every year, from May to September, a huge number of people get ill and land in hospitals in this region of the country with complaints of vomiting, diarrhoea, dysentery and gastroenteritis.
Published in The NEWS on May 11, 2026.
