At least 89 persons including Dera Ghazi Khan District Co-ordination Officer (DCO) Khusro Pervez in D G Khan and another 70 in Multan cantonment area fell victim to gastro enteritis and were admitted to local hospitals, till Wednesday morning.
Another two patients of gastro enteritis died in children complex Multan while four patients, Shehzad (10), Bilal (12), Ashraf Ansari and Javed died raising the death toll to 38 during last 13 days while 169 fresh patients were admitted to Nishtar and Children Hospitals and Dera Ghazi Khan hospital.
43 patients are said to be in serious condition in this Southern Punjab region till Wednesday morning. So far 2612 people have been taken to hospitals.
"At least 19 patients have so far died in Multan, two in D G Khan, three in Jehanian and remaining in Rahim Yar Khan while more than 2771 were affected by gastro enteritis during last 13 days. We are trying to combat this disease by taking preventive measures," Professor Dr Shabbir Nasir Principal of Nishtar Medical College told this correspondent on Wednesday.
At least 587 people were admitted in Nishtar Hospital emergency ward who were suffering from gastro-enteritis. 43 of them are in precarious condition.
1987 patients were released after their recovery while 43 are still in critical condition in Multan and Rahim Yar Khan. However, the Health authorities took no preventive measures.
The officials of Health Ministry Monday discussed strategy to deal with outbreak of Gastroenteritis in different parts of the country.
Director General Health Dr Abdul Majeed Rajput chaired the meeting and attended by chief health Dr Ather Saeed Dil, Dr Zahid Larak, Chief Primary Health Care Programme WHO Country Representative Dr Khalif Muhammad Bile, Rana G Kakar WHO official, Dr Jalil (NIH), Dr Hassan Urooj CDA, and Dr Mahboob A Agha, Ministry of Health. The emergency plan would be carried out in 20 districts in Punjab, Sindh and NWFP to deal the epidemic. In this regard federal government will involve provincial and district governments to tackle the situation effectively.