During the recent Eid holidays in Punjab and Lahore, there was a state of emergency declared in both public and private hospitals due to a significant surge in patients. Around 18,000 individuals were admitted to hospitals with gastrointestinal problems, primarily caused by overeating and neglecting precautionary measures while consuming meat and other foods during the religious festival of Eid-ul-Azha.
The major hospitals in Lahore, including Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital, and Government Shahdara Hospital, experienced a high influx of patients throughout the three-day period. The Punjab Health Department had issued prior notifications to hospital administrations, allowing them to make necessary arrangements to accommodate the increased number of patients.
Approximately 18,000 patients sought emergency treatment for gastrointestinal issues across public hospitals in Punjab during the Eid holidays. Emergency wards were overwhelmed with patients experiencing stomach pain and related ailments. In Lahore alone, the six major hospitals admitted 2,000 patients to their emergency wards during the first two days of Eid, including a significant number of children.
The Punjab Health Department emphasized the importance of consuming lemon and yogurt along with meat and advised individuals with pre-existing health conditions to avoid overeating. Citizens also rushed to pharmacies and medical stores in the city to purchase medication for symptoms caused by excessive eating.