During the Eid holidays in Punjab and Lahore, a state of emergency was declared in both public and private hospitals due to a significant influx of patients. Around 18,000 individuals were admitted with gastrointestinal problems, mainly caused by overeating and neglecting precautionary measures while consuming meat and other foods during the religious festival of Eid-ul-Azha.
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 volume of patients over the three-day period. The Punjab Health Department had informed hospital administrations in advance, allowing them to make additional 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 filled with patients suffering from stomach pain and related ailments. In Lahore alone, 2,000 patients were admitted to the emergency wards of the six major hospitals during the first two days of Eid, including a significant number of children.
The Punjab Health Department stressed 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 medicine for symptoms caused by excessive eating.
