|
|
|
|
| Floods 2004 |
|
|
|
Diarrhoea outbreak has taken a serious turn in the city's flood-hit areas and experts fear the worst will come when the floodwaters recede. Sources at the International Centre for Diarrhoea Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), popularly known as Mohakhali Cholera Hospital, said 475 patients, most of them children, were admitted to the centre yesterday. Only the previous day, the number was 441. They said diarrhoea patients are increasing every day. "This is already serious, but diarrhoea outbreak will peak in the form of an epidemic as floodwaters recede," said Dr PK Bardhan, a scientist at the ICDDR,B. He, however, said adequate supply of pure drinking water to the affected areas is now urgently needed to arrest spread of the waterborne disease.
The ICDDR,B has taken all preparations to handle the expected increased inflow of patients in the coming days. "We handled more than 900 patients a day during the 1998 flood. We are now capable of handling even more patients if need be" said Ramzan Ali, hospital manager of the ICDDR,B. Most patients coming to the ICDDR'B for treatment are from Rayerbazar, Khilgaon, Bashabo, Badda Kuril, Demra, Beraid, Malibagh, Shantibagh, Mohammadpur and Keranigonj. Shishu Hospital also reported a 15-20 percent increase in diarrhoea patients this week compared to last week. The hospital authorities also said they have every preparation to face the post-flood attack of diarrhoea and other related diseases. The flood shelters are hit hard by the disease because of a dearth of drinking water. Hospitals and clinics are flooding with an increased number of diarrhoea patients every day. The situation has turned even worse as sewerage water has got stuck over almost one-third of the city, escaping into water pipelines and reservoirs. Although Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has been supplying drinking water through its mobile teams at 14 points, the effort is inadequate to serve the large number of people affected in 56 wards. As a result many flood-hit people are compelled to drink contaminated water.
|
|
|
|
|
| ©
Copyright and Fair Use . SDNP Bangladesh holds
the © copyright to its publications and web pages but |
