The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Hundreds of people - mostly children- are arriving at hospitals across the country daily. As last week, diarrhoeal diseases have been reported in more than 50 of the country's 64 districts, with over 20,000 people affected over the past 10 days, said hospital sources.

According to the Ministry of Health, about 10,000 new patients were admitted to the Government hospitals in 50 districts on May 8. Some 1,000 patients were admitted to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) last couple of days. On an average, 200 to 400 diarrhoea patients were admitted to the facility per day.

"These are officially recorded figures. The actual number should be 5 to 8 times more than that," said Motasim Billah, who runs a medical clinic in Dhaka.

The official figures included only those cases reported to the Government hospitals, while most of the diarrhoeal diseases occur in remote villages where no Government facilities exist, he explained.

"Even in urban and semi-urban areas, where people are supposed to be aware of the harm that diarrhoea inflicts upon its victims, especially children, only a few take their patients to hospitals, and only when the patient is severely ill. Most of the diarrhoeal cases are managed at home," said Dr Fazle Rabbi, a physician at ICDDR, B.

"The reason for the sudden spurt in diarrhoea cases is the very high temperature and this is coupled with a lack of safe drinking water," he said.

Azharul Islam Khan, head of the short-stay unit at the ICDDR,B, said, "Some 60 per cent of those who reported to the hospital requiring admission. Others were given outpatient treatment and counselling."

The poor and people from lower income groups were the main victims of diarrhoea as a result of a lack of awareness about safe drinking water, poor sanitation, and the fact that rising food prices were driving more and more of them to seek cheaper food, which is often contaminated, said the health experts.

"Poor people are consuming stale and rotten food due to rocketing food prices and drinking unsafe water," said Habiba Khatun, Assistant Director of the Disease Control of the Health Services Directorate.

"Low-income people who rarely have access to pure drinking water and hygienic conditions are contracting the disease," said Jahangir Hossain, a scientist at the clinical sciences division of the ICDDR, B.

"The number of diarrhoea patients peaks in May. From now on we expect the number of diarrhoea patients to keep increasing each day," said Iqbal Hossain, an associate scientist at the ICDDR,B.

In Bangladesh, diarrhoea hits two peaks, one in April to May and the other in September to October.

Though the health experts do not consider the present situation 'epidemic' or 'critical,' they advise people to be cautious and observe better hygienic practices.

"To prevent diarrhoeal diseases during the hot spell, families must maintain their personal hygiene that includes washing of hands after visiting the toilet, giving fresh boiled water to children and feeding children hygienic food," said Azharul Khan of the ICDDR, B.