People in the flood-affected areas across the country remain at risk of death by drowning and snakebite as these, along with acute respiratory infection, accounted for 57 deaths in the past two weeks.
The National Crisis Management Centre and Control Room of the Health Directorate prepared a list of the 57 people. Of them, 50 died of drowning, six of snakebite and the remaining one of acute respiratory infection. Besides, 26 fell ill because of snakebite.
Almost all the 57 were children aged four days to 14 years. The others were old people of 60-85 years.
People in six districts were said to be at greater risk of such deaths - Sirajganj, Bagura, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Tangail and Jamalpur. The highest number of deaths by drowning, which was 18, was recorded in Sirajganj.
Parents and guardians in the flood-hit areas remain concerned about the safety of their children and also the elderly members of the family in the wake of the deaths.
Flood has so far hit over 233 unions under 37 upazilas in 10 districts across the country, including Kurigram, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Faridpur and Tangail.
The health situation is deteriorating in the flood-affected areas as people continue to fall prey to a range of waterborne diseases.
Mahfuzur Rahman, information technology officer at the National Crisis Management Centre and Control Room of the Health Directorate, told the Dhaka Tribune a total of 6,527 people fell ill in the flood-hit areas from August 21 to yesterday.
“Of them, 3,642 had diarrhoea, 1,140 developed skin disease and 446 had eye problems.
“More than 600 medical teams have been working in those areas to provide healthcare service for the flood-hit people,” he said.
Professor Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, director of communicable diseases control (CDC), told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have been working to ensure the supply of medicine, anti-venom injections and water purification tablets in the flood-affected areas.”
“As for death by drowning, we cannot help much except creating awareness.
“Hundreds of houses have gone under water in the flood-hit areas and it has become really hard to live in those areas,” he said.
“Anti-venom injections are available but the people, especially in the village, still depend on the traditional treatment provided by an ojha (someone who takes out snake venom from the body). This leads to many deaths,” he added.
