Six-year-old Nuzhat has been suffering from severe diarrhoea for two days. Hence, her parents admitted her to Dhaka’s icddr,b at Mohakhali. Doctors said sodium and potassium in Nuzhat's body decreased at an alarming rate due to diarrhoea and it may take a few days for her physical condition to return to normal.
Nuzhat's father, Simon, said that his other daughter also had stomach upset. She needs to be admitted to the hospital soon.
An average of 300 diarrhoea patients are treated daily in this specialized hospital. But currently the number rises to 450-500 people.
According to hospital data, an average of 15 patients are being admitted every hour. From April 7 till 2pm on April 16, at least 4,528 patients were admitted to the hospital.
Doctors say the whole country, including the capital, is facing mild to moderate heatwave. Hence, the demand for water in the body is increasing. As a result, diarrhoea is spreading through water. Most of the patients coming to the hospital are children.
Roksana from Dhaka’s Jatrabari came to the hospital with her 17-month-old boy Minhaj. This reporter found her feeding saline to the child while sitting on the bed. She said the boy had been vomiting and loose stool for a few days. Initially, the condition did not improve even after taking medication. He was getting very weak and was not taking breast milk. Then the mother brought him to the hospital, where they spent their Eid-ul-Fitr.
Rashedul Islam came from Kamrangirchar of the capital with his one-and-a-half-year-old child Farin to icddr,b for treatment. He fears that his child developed diarrhoea due to the intense heat.
According to experts, diarrhoea is a waterborne disease, caused by drinking contaminated water. Generally, diarrhoea is diagnosed if someone has loose stools three or more times a day.
In most cases, tap water in cities is contaminated by contact with septic tanks or sewage lines. Unhygienic living, defecation anywhere and near water sources, improper hand washing, unhygienic food storage, consumption of rotting refrigerated food in shops, restaurants or at home are considered to be some of the causes of diarrhoea.
Shoaib Bin Islam, assistant scientist at icddr,b, said that the number of patients has increased due to the unbearable heat of the last few days. In normal times, an average of 250-300 patients are admitted daily. Now it has crossed 500.
“Still many people have not returned to Dhaka after the Eid holidays. If the current temperature continues, the patient's stress is likely to increase,” he added.
Hospital doctors and health experts give various suggestions on how to stay safe from diarrhoea or water borne diseases during summer. There is no immediate cure from diarrhoea. It gradually gets better by taking food saline and medicine according to the rules.