Diarrhoea death toll 14 in two N districts

Eleven persons died of diarrhoea in Gaibandha in a week while three patients including two children died in last three days in Nilphamari. Over 3,000 new patients were attacked with the disease in the two districts in a week.

Our Gaibandha Correspondent reports: Seven diarrhoea patients died in Sundarganj, two in Gobinda-ganj and one each in Shaghata and Saduallapur upazilas within a week.

According to Gaibandha Civil Surgeon office, the dead victims are Marjina, 25, Shefali, 25, Balia, 70, Onda, 6, Hamida Khatun, 40, Kohinoor Begum, 35, Chandtara, 7, Sufia Begum, 55, Bhola Barman, 70, Shakhina, 35, Nilufa, 3.

Sundarganj upazila is the worst affected area where the disease is spreading alarmingly. Every day diarrhoea patients are coming to the upazila health complex from distant areas. But they are being treated with utter negligence, alleged guardians of patients.

Physicians are hardly available in the complex. Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Nur Kutubul Alam attends patients rarely because he stays at Rangpur, said an official preferring anonymity.

Although sources in the Civil Surgeon Office told that there is adequate supply of saline and others preventive drugs, but patients complained they had to procure saline, especially IV and cholera saline from local markets in time of need.

Our Nilphamari Correspondent reports: Diarrhoea situation worsened in all the six upazilas.

Three persons including two children died in last three days. They are Momtaj Ali, 50, of Pochar Hat village in Dimla upazila, Ezina Khatun,8, daughter of Habibur Rahman of Dakhkhin Desi Bai village in Jaldhaka upazila and Dilruba Akhtar Dristi,9, daughter of Dulu Miah of Chikon Mati village in Domar upazila.

However, sources in the district Health Control Room confirmed deaths of two persons.

About 1,500 people have been attacked with the disease anew last week.

Most diarrhoea patients come from Kishoreganj and Syedpur.

According to district Health Control Room about 850 diarrhoea patients took treatment in six upazila health complexes and two 50-bed hospitals last week ending October 10.

While visiting upazila health complexes in Kishoreganj and Jaldhaka on Sunday this correspondent found acute accommodation problem. He saw a good number of patients who were flooring or lying on the corridors of diarrhoea wards were given treatment. Many serious patients were taken back to their houses due to accommodation problem.

Diarrhoea broke out in an alarming proportion due to intake of inedible food during famine like 'monga' situation. The period falls during pre-harvest period of aman paddy commencing from mid-September to November. About five lakh agricultural workers become jobless during the period. At this time they have no purchasing capacity which lead them to either to starve with their family or to consume inedible food for the sake of survival.

While taking to The Daily Star on Sunday, the Civil Surgeon (CS) of Nilphamari told this correspondent the deadly disease broke out due to consumption of inedible food, lack of safe drinking water, poor sanitation system. However, he assured the situation is far better in comparison with last year's situation. He further informed there is no scarcity of IV saline though it was scarce during initial stage of its outbreak. Sufficient saline has been brought from Dhaka on emergency basis.

Meanwhile, prices of low quality rice jumped to Tk 16 per kg from Tk 12 per kg making the situation more worse, especially for poor people. Unscrupulous traders grabbed the situation of last few days' inclement weather and foul played with common people.