Where diarrhoea hits every family

Diarrhoea afflicted Arjina Begum, 30, surrounded by her husband and children in Dingding Para awaits help.. PHOTO: STAR

At least one person died and more then 200 out of 1,000 villagers have been attacked with the disease in last one week. Zakirul, 18, son of Boira Mia died on Tuesday.

The district is currently severely hit by 'monga', a famine like situation. Acute scarcity of food and lack of job compelled people to take uneatable items causing spread of the disease.

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Although a high powered medical team is working here round the clock, the team cannot cope with the situation due to lack of adequate saline and medicine. Some villagers snatched away saline and medicine from the team Wednesday morning.

When this correspondent visited the 'monga' affected village on Wednesday, he saw that most of the patients had consumed uneatable things.

Mohaddi Mamud, an octogenarian who lives with his day labourer son Nabiar, told The Daily Star their whole family except for himself were attacked with the disease after taking boiled 'rotten' arum. Mohaddi said his daughter-in-law Achhia brought arum from their neighbour because they had nothing to eat. A few days ago Mohaddi borrowed Tk 200 from a moneylender at his village on condition of repaying Tk 300 before the Eid. With the money he bought coarse rice at Tk 17 per kg. But they consumed it 2-3 days. As there is no work in the village, his son Nabiar went to Comilla to pull rickshaw about 15 days ago so that he can repay the money on time.

The entire family of another day labourer, Ashraf Ali, has been attacked with diarrhoea since Thursday morning. The patients are Ashraf Ali, his wife Khairun,28, and their two children.

Bed-ridden Ashraf Ali said they were attacked with the disease after drinking contaminated water of a tube-well which was submerged by floodwaters.

Like Mohaddi and Ashraf, at least one member of each family in Dingding Para is now suffering from diarrhoea.

The disease has attacked the entire family of villagers Solaiman, Dino Nath, Majedul, Sakaddi, Kalthu and Bachchu.

Kashem, a health worker in Chapra union told The Daily Star they referred serious patients to the Sadar hospital after initial treatment.

Chapra Union chairman Khalilur Rahman demanded more government aid saying a vast number of ultra-poor of Dingding Para are attacked with the disease.