Diarrhoea, pneumonia take toll on kids amid cold spell

The number of child patients sees sharp rise in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh Sadar Hospitals as diarrhoea and other cold related diseases including pneumonia spread during the ongoing cold spell in the northern districts.  

   With shortage of manpower and accommodation crisis, the two hospitals are struggling to cope with the situation.

In last two days, at least 137 child patients were admitted to the children's ward of Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital although there are only 18 seats.    

Of them, 69 were affected with diarrhoea, 22 with pneumonia and 46 others with other cold related diseases, said Dr Shahajahan Nawaj, senior child consultant of the hospital.     

In Panchagarh Sadar Hospital, 12 diarrhoea-affected children are undergoing treatment at the paediatric world while 58 patients took treatment from outdoor of the hospital on Wednesday, Dr Rajiul Karim, resident medical officer of Panchagarh Sadar Hospital told this correspondent over cell phone.

During visits to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, this correspondent saw that most of the admitted child patients and their mothers were lying on the floor and veranda, even after sharing of a single bed by two or three patients in the ward.

On Tuesday, 165 children, mostly with diarrhoea, pneumonia and respiratory problems, received treatment at the outdoor of Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital, hospital sources said.

"I admitted my two-year-old son to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital on Tuesday morning as he was affected with diarrhoea. We are staying on the floor due to shortage of space in the children's ward," said Sufia Khatun, wife of Azim Uddin of Shukanpukhuri village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila.

Sujata Begum, wife of Nazrul Islam of Radhanagar village in Panchagarh Sadar upazila, admitted her three-month-old pneumonia-affected son there on Tuesday evening. She is also staying at the hospital corridor.    

Zarifa Begum, wife of Khademul Islam of Patiadangi village under the same upazila, admitted her three-month-old baby to the same hospital on Monday evening but she with the baby is staying beside the staircase.  

"Two or three nurses, meant to serve 18 patients at the children's ward of this hospital, are now attending over a hundred patients. Despite the pressure, we are trying our best to tackle the situation," Dr Shajahan Newaj of Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital said.  

The hospital sees unusual rush of child patients as there is no child specialist at the upazila level and in Panchagarh Sadar Hospital in the adjacent district, he said.  

"The ongoing low temperature coupled with cold wind causes diarrhoea, bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. Children are more vulnerable to these infections because their immune system is weak. If the patients come to hospital in time it is easy to give treatment.

"The situation is likely to improve shortly after the weather becomes normal," he said.