VEHARI: Twenty people, most of them children, had died of gastroenteritis and other waterborne diseases at DHQ Hospital in June.

An official told Dawn on Thursday that 15 patients died at children’s ward and five at medical ward.

Among the victims were Jamila Bibi, Sadia, Jaweria, Eman, Haris, Ehsan, Salman, Misbah, Zahra, Ume Kulsom, Waseem Haider, Ali Raza, Mariam Fatima, Saeed Anjum, Mehreen, Umair, Faisal, Zainab and Abdullah. They belonged to Garahmor, Liaquatpura, 23-WB, People’s Colony and 9-11/WB.

Many patients with similar symptoms were admitted to the hospital during the last two days. At the children’s ward, forty children between two and five years are being treated. Also, the emergency department has seen rush of ‘gastroenteritis’ patients in the last two days. DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Ashraf said cases of dehydration and gastric ailments had multiplied in the last few days. The hospital was providing best possible treatment to the patients, he added.

He claimed a majority of the patients visited the hospital when the ailments got complicated. He advised the people living in slums to use boiled water.

Many people are complaining that they have to purchase the medicines from the market as those provided by the hospital’s emergency ward are of inferior quality. They have appealed to the health authorities to look into the matter and ensure provision of quality medicines in the hospital.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2014