Diarrhoea kills 19 in Tangail, Jamalpur

In Kalaroa upazila in Satkhira district, at least 150 people have been attacked the disease in a week.

A Correspondent reports from Tangail: Diarrhoea is spreading fast in different upazilas in Tangail and Jamalpur districts.

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At least 13 people including four children were killed and over 1,000 attacked with the waterborne disease in seven upazilas of Tangail district in last seven days, sources said.

Among the dead, 10 are in Madhupur and three in Ghatail.

The dead have been identified as Shahatan Bewa, 50, Amina, (2 months) and Salima, 6, of Khamarpara village; Hanufa, 50, of Phoolbari; Shahida Akter, 20, of Musuddi; Abdul, 55, Chaina, 12, and Rabeya, 55, of Jhugna; Ayesha, 25, of Hazaribari and Shahid, 22, of Shaya Purbapara village in Madhupur upazila. The three killed in Ghataial are Rima, 2, Zohura Begum, 40, and Ambia Khatun, 42.

The worst affected villages in Madhupur are Musuddi, Khamarpara, Charpara, Shaya and Jhugna.

The disease is also spreading in Karimpur in Ghatail upazila; Hugra and Katuli in Tangail Sadar; Kashil, Bangra, Pichuti and Dapnazar in Basail; Barati in Mirzapur; Zokarchar in Kalihati and Borni, Betjha and Dewlee in Delduar upazila of the district.

Some relatives of patients alleged that treatment is being hampered in many affected areas due to scarcity of oral saline packets and other medicines.

When contacted, Tangail District Health Control Room sources however said four people died of diarrhoea and nine others from food poisoning and pneumonia. Over 200 diarrhoea patients were treated in different government hospitals of the district.

Unofficial sources claimed that at least 1,000 diarrhoea patients took treatment at government hospitals and field level treatment centres in the district.

The control room said 117 medical teams are working in the district.

Keramat Hossen, Statistical Officer at the District Health Department told this correspondent that normally, 8,000 to 8,500 people are attacked with diarrhoea in the district between September and November every year.

An official at the control room said the situation is still under control and there is enough oral saline packets and other medicine in our store.

In Jamalpur, diarrhoea killed six people including four children and attacked over 1,000 at three upazilas in last seven days.

The affected upazilas are Sarishabari, Madarganj and Islampur.

The dead are Hasan, 6, Sabina, 2, and Jahirul Bewa, 85 in Sarishabari upazila, Bina, 8, and Sajiran, 55, in Madarganj and Seema, 2 in Islampur upazila.

More 300 people have been attacked in Sarishabari, 400 in Madarganj and 300 in Islampur.

Jamalpur Civil Surgeon office sources said several medical teams have been working in the affected areas to combat the disease.

Our Satkhira Correspondent reports: At least 126 people have been attacked with diarrhoea in different areas of Kalaroa upazila in the district and the disease is spreading, sources said.

This correspondent while visiting the upazila health complex yesterday saw 23 patients including women and children. They were admitted yesterday and the day before. Patients were also seen on the floor at the entrance and on corridors of the hospital.

On contact, Upazila Health Officer Dr Rezwanul Haque said, over 100 diarrhoea patients took treatment at the health complex in the last five days. The disease broke out as people took adulterated food and unsafe water, he said.

Some of the patients said they are purchasing medicines including saline from outside.

The situation was serious but it is improving as medical teams are working in affected areas, Dr Rezwanul Haque said.