Country's lone filaria hospital serves well, defying odds

The country's lone filaria hospital at Dhalagachh village in Saidpur upazila under the district has continued rendering quality service to filariasis patients, although the independently run hospital is beset with serious financial constraints.

The 25-bed hospital was set up by NGO Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology of Bangladesh (IACIB) in 2002 with the financial assistance of Japan government and the MoU mentioned it as the world's lone filaria hospital.

Governments of Japan and Canada provided further support for infrastructure development and improvement of treatment standard till 2012.

It received some help from Bangladesh government too.

"But the hospital is now passing a hard time as its founder chairman, also chief of NGO IACIB left it in 2012 following allegation of gross irregularities against him. All logistic and material support from home and abroad has remained virtually suspended since then," said Surot Ali, administrative officer of the hospital.

"World Health Organization (WHO) regards Nilphamari and its surrounding areas as the country's worst filaria affected region. According to our recent survey, 20% of total population in the district are either affected with filarial disease or carrying its parasite," he said.

Now a managing committee headed by the local lawmaker is running the hospital.

"In the past, a good number of patients from abroad came to the hospital for treatment of filariasis but the picture is different now. This year only two foreign patients -- Shanti Devi, 30, of Chennai, India and Hamidi, 45, from Oman took treatment here. They returned home after being cured," Surot Ali said.

Visiting the hospital recently, this correspondent saw 30-40 filariasis patients along with their attendants came there.

“Most patients are given outdoor treatment but serious patients are admitted here for specialised treatment. Of the hospital's 25 beds, only 10 are in use as only two doctors and three nurses are serving here," said Raihan Tarique, resident medical officer of the hospital.

"They are giving quality service although they are deprived of regular salary. We need at least four doctors and six nurses for smooth running of the hospital," he added.

Sale of tickets to patients, charges for bed, pathology tests and ambulance fare bring some earning for the hospital but it is too small to pay salaries to the doctors, nurses and other staff after bearing the maintenance cost.

Patients have to purchase important drugs, injections and ointments from outside.

Class IX student Liton Mia, 15, of Aditmari village in Lalmonirhat said his study discontinued due to filarial disease but now he is recovering gradually with treatment at the hospital.

Shahida Begum, 24, of Shaola village in Rangpur, said, "As the disease made me ugly, my husband wants to take a second wife. Now I have got admitted here with hope to get cured.”

Filariasis is caused by parasite filaria entering the body through biting of mosquito called wuchereria bancrofti.

The parasite attacks the lymphatic gland with no initial symptom, doctors said.

After 7-8 years, skin of the affected organ mainly legs, hands and sex organs folds and swells with deposit of odorous fluid and worms, causing pain and irritation.

WHO sources said about half of around 12 crore filariasis-affected people in the world are in this sub-continent.

Dr Abdur Rashid, civil surgeon of Nilphamari, said, "Teams from the government's health directorate visited the filaria hospital and process is on to find ways to enhance cooperation for developing it."

"Teams of doctors employed by the health directorate are working in different areas to eradicate filariasis from the country," he added.