Sudden rise of diarrhoea patients in Joypurhat

With the changing of the season, Joypurhat Modern Hospital is seeing a wave of diarrhoea patients each day.

Hospital sources said around 500 people had been admitted to the hospital in the last seven days. On average everyday at least 70 patients infected with diarrhoea are being admitted to the hospital.

So far, more than 2,000 diarrhoea patients received treatment from the hospital in the last two months.

The 250-bed hospital has been struggling with high flow of diarrhoea patients against the shortage of beds, leaving the patients to stay on the floor. Even the corridors and other places in the hospital are filled with growing number of patients.

Doctors in the district said such disease accompanied by dysentery, acute stomach pain, vomiting and fever usually goes up every year with the dropping of mercury and season changes.

Besides, maintaining hygienic is an issue among the underprivileged communities in the district, giving rise to the patients.

Among the infected, mostly were children and elderly persons.

Zahidul Islam of Bulupara village in Joypurhat Sadar upazila has recently said he admitted his six-month -old son to Joypurhat Modern Hospital as his health condition worsened a couple of days after he got dysentery and vomiting.

Md Rubel of Koytahar village in Sadar upazila said his one and half year old son Zakaria was also admitted to the hospital after he got the diarrhoea.

He said treatment was good, but getting a bed is a distant dream at the hospital, said Rubel.

Asma Akter, a staff nurse of the hospital, said besides the Joypurhat districts, patients from other surrounding districts, including Dinajpur and Naogaon, are also coming to the hospital to get treatment.

She said the numbers of such patients started increasing from the end of February.

Dr Mostafizur Rahman, a doctor of the emergency ward at Joypurhat Modern Hospital, said they have been passing a busy day to treat patients. He urged the people to be aware of such seasonal change and urged them to be cautious to refrain from taking unhygienic foods.

Dr Mizanur Rahman, Residential Medical officer of Joypurhat Modern Hospital, said the hospital is currently filled with many diarrhoea patients.

The number is comparatively high this year, in comparison with the last couple of years, he said.