KARACHI: As the city continues to face soaring temperatures and rising humidity levels, a fresh wave of gastrointestinal illnesses has spread across Karachi, with both government and private hospitals reporting a steady flow of patients suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea, and symptoms linked to cholera.
Health officials say the spike in stomach-related infections is mainly due to people consuming unhygienic food and unclean water.
The situation has worsened with poor storage practices in the intense heat, which causes food to spoil faster.
At Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), around 50 to 60 patients are arriving daily with signs of food poisoning and dehydration.
Civil Hospital is seeing even more, with close to 80 such cases reported each day, according to sources from the emergency departments.
Dr Imran Sarwar, who heads the Emergency Unit at Civil Hospital, explained that most of the patients are coming in with serious dehydration and low electrolyte levels.
“Food spoils quickly in this heat, especially when it is not refrigerated properly. People are unknowingly consuming contaminated or expired food,” he said.
He further noted that many patients only seek medical help after two or three days of illness, by which time their condition has worsened. “In some critical cases, low cretonne levels have impacted kidney function, and the patients had to undergo dialysis,” he added.
Health professionals are advising the public to take extra precautions during this hot and humid weather. They suggest eating light and easy-to-digest foods like khichdi, yogurt, and bananas, and staying hydrated throughout the day.
Residents have also been encouraged to keep oral rehydration salts (ORS) readily available at home. If commercial ORS is not accessible, a basic version can be prepared by mixing a pinch of salt and sugar into warm water.