The prevailing one-week-long diarrhoea outbreak has turned into a matter of great concern as the situation was deteriorating continuously, leaving an apprehension going the state out of control.
While visiting, the correspondent found that the corridors and verandahs as well as any free space of the 250-bed Kushtia General Hospital have been full of diarrhoea affected patients. Even if the hospital authorities have been forced to set up tents before the hospital to give medical services to the increased patients.
On the other hand, the staff and physicians of the hospital were struggling to give due services to the huge people with their limited support.
Alike the hospital, the scenario of other hospitals of the district was same, in some cases the people have been taking treatment in their residents due to the space crunch.
When contacted, sources at Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Kushtia, said they primarily suspected that contaminated surface water extracting by tube-wells caused the outbreak.
Kushtia Municipality authorities yesterday started giving advice the locals by loudspeakers not to drink the surface water without boiled.
Earlier, the district administration formed three separate committees to tackle the situation.
The five-member committee, led by Kushtia Medical Officer Dr Mizanur Rahman, was directed to find out the cause and remedies of the outbreak.
The 15-member committee, led by Kushtia Medical College Associate Professor Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, was assigned to give medical services to the diarrhoea patients round the clock.
The another five-member committee has been assigned to oversee the overall situation and make reports along with recommendation of necessary measures.
At yesterday noon, Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Soid Belal Hossain visited the spot and he, observing the overall scenario of diarrhoea outbreak, instantly requested the local Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Sector Commander to send its medical teams there in an urgent basis.
Afterwards, the BGB teams started giving medical services to the diarrhoea affected people by erecting tents in front of the hospital.