Winter illnesses strain hospitals with patient influx

Highlights 

• In the 24 hours until Thursday morning, 3,602 people have been hospitalised with winter diseases across the country
• 1,126 of them with respiratory infections, 2,476 with viral diarrhoea 
• During this period, one person died of respiratory infection
• In the last two months, 2.52 lakh people have been hospitalised due to winter diseases 
• Among them, 63 people died

A wave of harsh cold has gripped the country for over a week, bringing about a surge of winter-related illnesses that are affecting the vulnerable, particularly the young and the elderly. 

The particularly intense cold in the northern part of the country took a turn for the worse with Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, and other areas experiencing rain yesterday. 

Hospital admissions include patients with a range of winter ailments, such as pneumonia, respiratory tract infections, and diarrhoea. There are also reports of burn injuries increasing as people make bonfires to get warm or use hot water to bathe. 

Doctors recommend wearing warm clothing and exercising caution during the winter season.

In the 24 hours until Thursday morning, 3,602 people have been admitted to hospitals with winter diseases across the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). 

Among them, 1,126 were admitted with respiratory infections, 2,476 with viral diarrhoea. During this period, one person died of respiratory infection.

In the last two months, more than 2.52 lakh people have been hospitalised due to winter diseases in the country. Among them, 63 people died, as per DGHS data.

Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute are now overflowing with patients. The hospital's 19-bed pneumonia ward had no available beds on Thursday. Pneumonia patients were being admitted to other wards. 

Currently, 109 pneumonia patients are in the hospital, and authorities note that many severely ill patients are coming from outside Dhaka. 

Professor Dr Md Jahangir Alam, director of the hospital, said an average of over 1,000 patients are receiving treatment at the hospital every day, with more patients coming in with pneumonia, shortness of breath, and diarrhoea.

"Parents should be careful in protecting their children from pneumonia. Infants under six months should be breast-fed frequently. Parents should carefully calculate the rate of breathing of the child," he advised.

Burn patients rising

Dr Md Tariqul Islam, resident surgeon at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, told TBS that the number of patients with fire burns and hot water burns has increased, with a high number of children affected. 

"As our hospital has twice as many patients as usual, Dhaka Medical's burn unit is also handling some patients," he added. 

He advised parents to be cautious about keeping children safe from fire. "Use buckets for hot water instead of bottles. Wear warm clothes and avoid getting too close to stoves and bonfires," Dr Tariqul said.

The 12-bed burn unit at Rangpur Medical College Hospital reached full capacity yesterday, according to the hospital authorities. Most patients were children and women, prompting the need to transfer patients to other units, they said. 

Effect of dusty fog

Officials at Bangladesh Meteorological Department said the temperature suddenly dropped from 27 degrees Celsius to 16-17 degrees. Currently, it is fluctuating between 10-17 degrees, making it difficult for people to adapt to the weather.

They said there is more fog this year due to high air pollution.

Doctors said this dust-filled fog is a cause of lung problems and allergies, recommending the use of masks to mitigate its impact.  

Public health expert Dr M Mushtuq Hussain told TBS that most people in Bangladesh are poor and not prepared or able to face winter, contributing to an increase in rotavirus, pneumonia and burn patients. 

"The health sector and the economy should be prepared to adapt to nature. Disease patterns are changing now due to nature, so work must be done on achieving universal health coverage by 2030," he added.