KARACHI: While hot and dry weather conditions have been prevailing in Karachi since past several days, a sudden rise in diarrhoeal diseases especially in children is witnessed and reported in the city hospitals prompting health experts to issue a warning and advising the general public to drink boiled water and take extra preventive measures.

The health experts believe that the changing weather conditions are giving a rise to diarrhoea mainly among children.

They warned that the major shift in the temperature had caused serious rise in number of patients.

The emerging situation pushed the health administration and authorities to raise alarm and advise Karachiites for precaution.

Speaking to Dawn, child health expert Dr Azhar Chughtai described the change in the weather as one of the major causes behind the growing number of different diseases recently.

“Due to change in weather conditions, respiratory infections and viruses are leading to diarrhoea,” he said.

As Karachi sizzles at 39°C, cases of vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating and nausea increase

“This disease mostly affects children, between the age of three months and five years. And among them those children are more at risk who are fed with bottle. I would advise parents not to give children unsterilised feeding bottles.”

A health official confirmed to Dawn that the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Lyari, National Institute of Child Health and the Hyderabad Civil Hospital have witnessed a sudden surge in number of patients suffering from vomit, abdominal pain, bloating and nausea.

Precautionary measures

Meanwhile, the department of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology (DIPHE) of the Aga Khan University Hospital has also issued an “Infection alert: diarrhoeal illness”.

The hospital shared details of recent surge in diarrhoea suggesting different tips to avoid maximum damage.

“Over the last three to four weeks we are seeing an increase in the number of patients presenting with diarrhoea from the community. This includes a cholera-like illness, leading to severe dehydration and kidney shutdown,” it said.

The health research facility shared a number of tips for the general public, asking them to adopt ‘preventive measures’ like the use of boiled water as a first step.

“Only drink boiled water. Water should be full boiled for at least one minute. Use different cutting boards for meat. Wash hands with soap and water immediately after handling meat. Thoroughly wash any fruits or vegetables which will be eaten raw without peeling. Rinse with drinking water after washing,” it said.

Hot and dry weather

Karachiites witnessed hot and dry weather on Sunday when mercury crossing 39 degree Celsius mark.

A meteorological department official said the trend was likely to continue for another couple of days in the city.

The Met office added that it recorded the maximum temperature of 39.3°C with 14 per cent humidity in the air.

The trend, he said, could stay for another couple of days, but clarified that Karachi wasn’t alone witnessing such weather conditions.

“There’s a low pressure area in South of the country,” said weatherman Dr Sardar Sarfaraz.

“This has led to such warm conditions in almost every part of the country. For Karachi in the month of March, it is not a new phenomenon as we keep witnessing such weather conditions in this month on and off.”

“But definitely it is a kind of unusual experience for the rest of the country. Our estimate suggests that the situation will become normal in Karachi after a few days,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2022