Diarrhoea has broken out alarmingly at nine union parishads in Munshiganj because of scorching heat.
According to sources at Munshiganj Sadar Hospital, about 1,000 patients afflicted with diarrhoea, mostly children and elderly people, got admitted to the hospital in the last two days.
The hospital authority is struggling to accommodate the staggering number of patients.
During a visit to the hospital, this correspondent found that being unable to get bed, many patients have been staying on floor and corridors.
Minara Khatun, a resident of Kalibari village under Tongibari upazila, said she had become sick on Monday after taking lunch and got admitted to the hospital at night.
Saleha Begum, a resident of Aldi Bazar area, said she had come to the hospital with her 9-month-old boy after he has been affected with diarrhoea. She said, “It will be better for us if we get a bed.”
Rakib Uddin, a resident of Baligaon, said he had come to the hospital with his younger sister.
He alleged that doctors of the hospital were not giving proper attention to patients.
Like him, many patients alleged that they were not getting adequate oral saline and medicines.
But, Dr Nijamuddin differed with the allegation saying they had sufficient stock of oral saline and medicine.
He said, “Usually we provide 1,500 to 1,600 packets of oral saline daily, but now we are giving around 3,000 packets seeing huge rush of patients.”
The scorching heat as well as scarcity of pure drinking water are main causes behind the recent outbreak of diarrhoea, said Dr MAO Kamrul Karim.
He said diarrhea usually breaks out alarmingly in the country twice every year from April to June and from August to October.
He advised people to drink more pure drinking water and said one person should drink 10-12 glasses of water every day.
“People should avoid stale food to prevent diarrhoea,” he said.
Apart from Diarrhoea, many people affected with viral fever have admitted to the hospital.
