Diarrhoea situation in other flood-affected areas is also alarming, doctors said.

The Health Directorate said about 11,331 people fell victim to diarrhoea across the country since July 30 with 2,524 admitted to hospitals in 24 hours till yesterday morning.

The number of diarrhoea patients admitted to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka was 615 in 24 hours till Sunday midnight while another 315 patients were admitted till yesterday noon.

But ICDDR,B and Health Directorate could not give any account of death caused by diarrhoea.

Scores of diarrhoea patients thronged ICDDR,B yesterday compelling the authorities to employ more doctors and staffs to cope with the situation.

ICDDR,B authorities grappled with the pressure as over 200 seats arranged at the hospital's parking lot for treating the additional patients were not enough. They started arranging more space for them in the parking lot to tackle the situation.

A large number of children suffering from fever, pneumonia and skin diseases were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, and Dhaka Shishu Hospital yesterday.

Dr Monir Hossain, resident physician of DMCH, said the number of child patients suffering from various water-borne diseases rose sharply as about 300 to 400 children get admitted to DMCH every day.

"The bulk of diarrhoea patients got admitted to ICDDR,B while DMCH received a small section in last few days", he said. He also cautioned the number of patients suffering from diarrhoea and skin diseases would increase after floods.

ICDDR,B physicians said usually 180 to 220 patients suffering from water-borne diseases get admitted to the hospital every day. But the number rose sharply in last few days, they said.

They cited consumption of contaminated food and water in the flood-affected areas as the main reasons of the outbreak of the disease.

Apart from children, adults and elderly people from the capital and its neighbouring areas were admitted to ICDDR,B in last few days.

Dr Mir Nasir Ul Alam, clinic manager of ICDDR,B told The Daily Star that the number of patients increases steeply during floods. But this time the situation might get worse in the coming days.

Dr S K Roy, senior scientist of Clinical Sciences Division of ICDDR,B said that although children are affected by the disease in general, the number of adult patients increases sharply during floods.

“Adults are more prone to the disease during floods as they often take contaminated water and food in flood-affected areas", he said.

The doctors said people in flood-affected areas must boil water or use water-purifying tablets before drinking to prevent the disease.

ICDDR,B has been providing orsaline for free and giving advice to the patients, they said.

Meanwhile, sale of orsaline rose sharply in the city in last few days.

Mohammad Rajib, a salesman of Faria Pharmacy in Uttar Begun Bari area, said the sale of orsaline had gone up after many people in the area were affected by diarrhoea.

He said that now about 200 packets of orsaline are being sold every day while the number was only 50 a week back.

Most of the diarrhoea patients are usually discharged from ICDDR,B within 12 to 24 hours after admission, said the doctors. They said that the survival rate of the diarrhoea patients is 99 per cent and those who die usually have other complications.

Monir,25, a labourer of Kamrangir Char area, said he got admitted to ICDDR,B yesterday as he fell ill after drinking water outside his workplace on Friday.

Mustafizur Rahman, a bio-medical engineer, who came to ICDDR,B with his 11-month-old baby, said the water of the reservoir of their house at Sabujbagh got contaminated as floodwater found its way into it.

The Health Directorate opened a control room on July 30 to monitor the diarrhoea situation across the country. They are also providing orsaline and medicines to the patients.