70 per cent of patients in Lahore suffering from stomach and liver diseases due to unhygienic food and water; Stunted growth, mental retardation becoming widespread in children
Two thirds of people visiting the hospitals in Lahore may have fallen ill simply because of the water they drank or the food they ate, a number of doctors told Pakistan Today during a survey conducted in various hospitals and clinics of Lahore.
Contaminated water and unhygienic and substandard food is being consumed by almost 60 to 70 per cent of the residents of Lahore, causing them liver and stomach problems medical practitioners told Pakistan Today.
An official of the Punjab Health Department revealed on condition of anonymity that Lahore accounted for 25 per cent of people in the province suffering from diseases.
“Lahoris are drinking unhealthy water and eating unhygienic food not only at hotels and stalls in the markets, but also at home. During the last decade, incidence of stunted growth has increased in children. Many do not reach normal height. Children may also be experiencing mental retardation as a result of the unhealthy food and water they are drinking,” Dr Nazim Ali at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology said while commenting on the extent of the problem. He said that hepatitis and other stomach related problems had also been continuously on the rise in the city.
The Punjab Food Authority’s efforts, while they generated considerable media attention barely amounted to plugging the dam with finger.
Officials at the Children Hospital said that they are receiving 100 to 150 patients every day at the Children Hospital Lahore. According to estimates, almost 40 per cent of children who are brought to the hospital are found to be suffering from liver ailments, while another 40 per cent have diseases of the stomach.
Another medical practitioner, Dr Salman said that eating at home instead of bazaars, while not completely safe, may help improve your chances of staying healthy.
Other doctors of public hospitals said that the government should take stringent measures for ensuring availability of clean drinking water and quality food to citizens on priority basis.
