Disease

Diarrhoea, gastro outbreak hits Punjab - Pakistan

As per official record of the health department, the number of gastro and diarrhea patients reached 210,954 in the government-run hospitals, including 74,337 cases in Lahore since January 1, 2017. Moreover, the death toll due to the disease is being willfully not recorded in the hospitals in a bid to minimise the havoc in the province.

To make matters worse, the statistics compiled by the provincial headquarters did not include the figures of those patients who are visiting private hospitals, clinics and health centres in large numbers. If all data is included, the number of patients might be three times the current figures.

Although the government-run hospitals are crowded with gastroenteritis and diarrhea patients, the functionaries of the Punjab health department are hesitant to declare the outbreak officially.