FOOD-BORNE and water-borne diseases continue to have a major impact on health. Food-borne illness is a common, distressing, and sometimes life-threatening problem for millions of people.
In the summer people suffer from food and waterborne diseases, the contaminated food also causes diarrhoea and vomiting. Mostly people do not care about hygiene. The waterborne diseases have recently gripped the upper Sindh and some Punjab areas. Hospitals were receiving 90 to 100 patients daily.
Waterborne diseases have been the major drains on hospital resources. Lack of awareness at the community level about 'safe water' is responsible for producing many ailments. The outbreak of fatal infectious diseases like Hepatitis A; typhoid and dysentery are the result of drinking unsafe water.
With the increasing heat, waterborne diseases breakout in the country with a higher impact on dry and arid zones. People drink water more than normal routine and sometimes take contaminated water too, which becomes the sole cause of seasonal diseases.
In the cities also the incidents of such diseases have risen and number patients have increased. Dr Seemi Jamali of the JPMC said, "the doctors at JPMC, where most of the emergency cases of the city come say presently there is no alarming situation. The number of diarrhoea and gastroentertis patients urually increase from 25 patients to 40 patients in summer.
"People are suggested to use boiled water, vegetables and soups. Heat stroke and hydro fever are other common diseases in summer.
"People can avoid these chronic complications by taking proper care of clothing; use light clothing so that air can pass through and avoid direct exposure to sun and heat for long duration".
Dr S.M. Qaiser Sajjad, General Secretary, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) - Karachi said masses to adopt a restraint in consuming ice-cold water, drinks, un-hygienically prepared ice candies (gola ganda) and ice creams to counter surging temperatures.
He said the imprudent attitude of masses, with little care towards their health, has led to massive increase in the incidence of ear, nose, throat (ENT) cases along with respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal diseases.
"People are increasingly visiting doctors with sore throat, nasal obstruction, difficulty in swallowing, headache, low and high grade fever", he said it is not only unnecessarily burdening their pockets but could lead to serious implications on their health in the long run.
"The aforementioned conditions reflect problems as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, deviated nasal septum, nasal allergy and soforth," Dr Qaiser Sajjad said.
People in general were advised to ensure maximum intake of potable water, through proper boiling of tap water, to avoid range of diseases. It is advisable to consume 15 to 20 glasses of water daily, he said.
The recent waterborne disease outbreak in Korangi, it was pointed out that the bacteriological analysis revealed the presence of vibrio cholerae, acin, lwoffii and pseudomonas species.
It was further stated that the results of the study revealed that microbial load of drinking water supplied in Karachi is high and that samples were found to be positive for potential human pathogens.
Dr Shahana said that the presence of potential human pathogens in drinking water supply should be a matter of concern for the general public and the Karachi health authorities.
"The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board should set up a state of the art drinking water quality assurance laboratory in order to provide pathogen free water to the dwellers of the city as this would help in reducing water borne outbreaks and will bring substantial reduction in infectious diseases burden of Karachiites".
Safe drinking water is an individual right of every human being, which should be provided at any cost. Clean drinking water greatly reduces the incidence of these diseases.
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