LAKK I MARWAT - Several people were hospitalised in Tajazai area, as gastroenteritis broke out in the area, sources said Sunday. They said the disease broke out and spread in parts of Tajazai during the last couple of days hitting a number of residents, including children. The locals said that several gastro-hit people had been taken to private hospitals and health clinics. They alleged that the government-run health centres lacked doctors and proper treatment facilities, adding that the doctors usually came late to the hospitals OPDs and the malady-affected people had no option other than heading towards private health clinics to get timely treated. Shabbakhel, Zaitunkhel and some other parts of the locality were hard-hit by the disease and it was feared that deaths can also occur if timely treatment was not provided to patients, said Khalid Wahab, a local. He said that the affected residents of the locality preferred private health facilities on state-run hospitals for better and effective treatment. When contacted, EDO Health Dr Falak Naz said that a medical team comprising doctors and paramedics had been sent to the area along with medicines after they received information about the outbreak of gastroenteritis in Tajazai. He said that the state-run hospitals, health units and dispensaries were fully equipped with all sorts of facilities and essential medicines to cope with gastro-hit patients. Doctor and paramedics have been strictly directed to provide all kinds of facilities to the affected people, he added.