Chapainawabganj hospital overwhelmed with diarrhea patients
This north-western border district is seeing an outbreak of diarrhea as at least 50 to 60 children are reported being hospitalised every day in the last 10-15 days.
In the 250-bed Chapainawabganj District Hospital there is no children bed in the diarrhea ward yet most of the patients are currently children, said Rehana Parvin, Diarrhea ward in-charge of the hospital.
"Comprising the ward's sofas and bed we can accommodate 24 patients. But as the number is five to six times higher many are staying on the floor," said Nasrin Khatun, senior staff nurse of the hospital.
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Until Thursday (23 December) 12pm, 51 diarrhea patients were admitted to the hospital and 27 of them were admitted in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, 50 people were released from the hospital after recovery, said the hospital authority.
"It's hard to even have a space in the veranda outside the diarrhea ward for my two-year-old granddaughter," said Taslima Begum from Maharajpur village who admitted her granddaughter Tyeba on Monday.
Hafez Abul Kalam from Debinagar village, uncle of another two-year-old Jubayer said, "The weather is too cold to stay on the floor as the chilly wind keeps coming from outside."
Shabana-Subahan a couple from Kansat union in Shibganj upazila admitted their 15-months old son Abu Sufiyan on Wednesday as doctors of upazila health complex referred to Chapainawabganj District Hospital as the patient will need cannula.
"However even after a day passed they did not provide a cannula for our son", they said on Thursday.
Dr Mahfuzur Rayhan, junior consultant (children) of Chapainawabganj District Hospital said, in the last eight to ten days number of diarrhea patients has increased in the hospital as winter is the season of spreading Rotavirus.
He assured there is nothing to fear as proper treatment ensures full recovery.
Dr Md Mominul Haque, supervisor of the hospital said, "There is no shortage of saline, medicines and we are fully prepared to treat the children being admitted at the hospital."
He said the hospital authority has covered the corridor area with makeshift curtains to save the children and their parents from the cold.
