Diarrhoea spreads in Nilphamari

Fifty patients were admitted to the hospital on Thursday, official sources said.

Many patients were seen lying on floors as patients continued to pour in.

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At least 2000 people have been attacked with diarrhoea and other intestinal diseases in the upazila. Eight villages are worst affected. These are Balapara, Telipara, Machhuapara, Pathanpara, Shaskandor, Khord Botlagari, Dhukunia and Porarhat Halipara, where two persons died in the last three days.

Nilphamari Civil Surgeon Dr Abdur Rahim visited Syedpur Health Complex and the affected villages. He told newsmen yesterday that the situation was under control and that 70 medical terms were working in the district.

There is scarcity of IV saline at Syedpur Health Complex. It is not possible to provide more than one IV saline injection to a patient whereas a serious patient needs at least five such injections, doctors said.

Relatives of serious patients said they are buying saline injections from outside at high prices.

Health assistants working in villages said they are giving oral saline to serious patients and advising them to go to hospital.

To create awareness, government health workers and Union Parishad men are using microphones to advise people on the diseases.

Residential Medical Officer (RMO) of Syedpur Health Complex Shahidullah Azizi told newsmen that diarrhoea would spread rapidly if it can not be controlled right now, but medicines are in short supply.

A source at the Civil Surgeon's office told this corresponded that there is scarcity of IV saline in the district. Urgent message has been sent to Dhaka for supply of I V saline.

It gathered that in last seven days, 385 diarrhoea patients were admitted to all the government health complexes and at Nilphamari Sadar Hospital.