Don't eat outside food, advise doctors in Mumbai

Worried over the rise in water-borne ailments in the city, such as gastroenteritis, diarrhoea and jaundice, corporators on Tuesday asked the civic body to prepare a contingency plan to tackle this upswing.

In the health committee meeting, they asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take strict action against roadside food vendors — a major reason behind the rising number of gastroenteritis cases in the city.

Barudkar Abdul Aziz, Congress corporator from Juhu, said, “Pregnant women are worst-affected. The administration has done nothing to ensure these diseases come in control. The vendors of Chinese food stalls need to maintain hygiene or strict action needs to be taken against them before it’s too late.”

Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner (health), admitted that a majority of the cases coming in at BMC-run hospitals and health camps are gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. Sporadic cases of jaundice have also been registered in pregnant women. The BMC has decided to provide special assistance for maternity care in slums.

“Facilities will be made available at health posts for treating and providing medicines for pregnant women,” she said. To further curb the spread of strain of hepatitis, chlorine tablets will be provided free in the slums.

Doctors say that water-borne ailments need attention. “Number of gastroenteritis patients has gone up because of people’s unhygienic food habits. People should not eat outside food in summer and monsoon,” Dr Umesh Aiagal, medical superintendent, Kasturba hospital, said.

General practitioners say it is always wise to stay off roadside food during these seasons. “Consuming such food can lead to diarrhoea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, and jaundice. I am seeing a rise in the number of jaundice and hepatitis A, E cases,” said Dr Pratit Samdhani, general physician, Jaslok hospital.