Diarrhoea turns epidemic in Gopalganj

Diarrohoea has turned epidemic in Gopalganj, claming at least six children and affecting 1,379 people in the last one month.

Unofficial reports put the death toll at 12 and the number affected at 2,000.

Of the seven, five did in Gopalgan sadar upazila, one in Katalipara and one in Tungipara upazila, according to sources at the Sadar hospital.

Over 680 diarrhoea patients were treated at Gopalganj sadar hospital, 263 at Mulesudpur hospital, 200 at Kotalipara hospital, 53 at Kasiani hospital, and 183 at Tungipara hospital.

Most of the affected persons were children and women.

The most affected villages are Goshirchar, Gobra, Sonakasi, Gosgati, Gopanathpur, Bormi, Kushali and Korpara, Kusla, Kandi, Gosapara and Unashia.

Scarcity of drinking water is the main cause of outbreak of the disease, the sources said.

The district civil surgeon said 93 medical teams, one in each union, are working to face the situation.

He said he urged the authorities in Dhaka to send oral saline, cholera vaccine and other drugs immediately, but nothing reached so far.

People in some areas alleged that they were not getting proper treatment at government health centres due to inadequate number of health workers and lack of medicine.