PIMS receives over 500 patients due to overeating
ISLAMABAD – Over 500 patients landed in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) emergency during Eid-ul-Azha due to overeating of meat dishes causing gastrointestinal pain, The Nation learnt on Friday.
PIMS Media Coordinator and gastroenterologist Dr. Waseem Khawaja informed The Nation that around 550 patients facing gastric troubles and stomach pains after overeating meat dishes were reported in the hospital emergency in two days.
He said that around 200 of them were administered drips and retained in the hospital till their situation became stable, while the rest were discharged after examination and prescription of medicines.
Dr. Waseem advised remaining careful while eating meat dishes on Eid days and said that each person should maintain the quantity of 200 to 250 grams of meat eating to avoid any stomach troubles.
He also said that carelessness during Eid days in this season when diarrhoea is also being reported could be harmful for the health of a number of people.
“While eating meat dishes, people at home must take vegetables, salad yogurt along with meals to balance the diet,” he said.
Dr. Waseem added that excessive meat consumption leads to clinical problems in patients with diabetes, hypertension, liver, kidney diseases and gastric ulcers.
He said that the patients reaching emergency came from all walks of life, from middle to poor socioeconomic background.
“Every year, routine remains the same which means that the people lack awareness on meat eating habits,” he said.
Health expert Dr. Shareef Astori said that half cooked meat is also one of the reasons behind stomach problems of the people reaching hospitals.
He said that people should carefully check when eating meat that it is well cooked or not because it leads to many stomach problems and diseases.
Dr. Shareef also added that the carelessness by people suffering with high blood pressure and cardiac problems also increases their medical problems and such people should strictly follow their guidelines during Eid-ul-Azha.
“Every year, hospital emergencies after the Eid-ul-Azha festivals are flooded with the patients facing stomach problems due to overeating of meat, but still there is no decline in the trend,” he said.
Dr. Shareef stressed that a national level awareness campaign should be run on every Eid-ul-Azha for the precautionary measures to be followed to avoid stomach diseases.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health (NIH) advisory stresses the movement of sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Azha significantly carries the risk of CCHF disease transmission due to increased human-animal interaction.
The advisory said that there is currently no vaccine available for CCHF so people should focus on instructions to prevent and control the disease.
With visits at crowded places, direct contact with infectious materials and animals in markets, the risk of COVID-19 transmission is also expected to rise. This advisory aimed to alert different stakeholders including the human and animal healthcare providers to take timely steps for the prevention and control of CCHF and COVID-19.
Separately, the Federal Medical Teaching Institute PIMS extended one hour of duty timing of the doctors in the hospital.
The circular issued said, “It is circulated for information that the office timings have to be observed by all the employees of the hospital.”
According to the circular the duty timing from Monday to Thursday and Saturday will be 08:00 am to 03:00 pm while on Friday the timing will be from 08:00 am to 01:00 pm. It said the shift staff will perform their duties in accordance with their respective duty roasters as per going practice.
Article source: https://nation.com.pk/24-Jul-2021/pims-receives-over-500-patients-due-to-overeating