Professor Emeritus Dr Sultan Ahmed Chowdhury Wednesday appealed to the government and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research. Bangladesh (ICDDR'B), to take , up a plan immediately to set up a diarrhoeal disease hospital somewhere in North Bengal.

In an exclusive interview with BSS, Dr Chowdhury said the proposed hospital should be on the pattern of ICDDR'B Matlab Field Hospital and be centrally located tn the northern region under the administrative control of ICDDR'B. He fervently sought necessary cooperation of the government In this regard.

He said that the recent out- , break of diarrhoeal diseases in the flood affected northern districts which claimed a number of lives was mainly due to lack of awareness of the people about this disease. Setting up of such a hospital would help create the awareness. he said.

He pointed out that establishment of the Diarrhoeal Disease Field Hospital of ICDDR'B at Matlab increased public awareness and helped in controlling the disease.

He said that whenever there was any outbreak of diarrhoeal disease in the northern districts the government had to airlift medicines and doctors on an emergency basis. Establishment ot the hospital would case that situation, he added.

Dr Sultan Ahmed, the father of pediatrics in Bangladesh and founder Chairman of the Dr Sultan Ahmed Chowdhury Foundation, also appealed to various national, international and global agencies to come forward with their helping hands in setting up the hospital. He himself also promised to donate to the proposed hospital fund if it is materialised.

Dr Chowdhury has already donated a sum of Taka two lakh to the ICDDR B

Endowment Fund formed recently for running their hospital services at Dhaka and Matlab.

ICDDR'B administration in the recent months appealed to the phillanlhrophlsts and prospective donors in Bangladesh to donate to the ICDDR'B Endowment Fund. Donations to the fund is exempted from Income Tax.

The ICDDR'B said that it was facing difficulties in convincing the donors for bearing the costs of ihe two free hospital services of diarrhoeal diseases located at Mohakhall, Dhaka, and Matlab in Chandpur district.

On the basis of the suggestions of the donors, the ICDDR’B decided to form a Local Hospital Endowment Fund for meeting a part of the day to day hospital expenses at the beginning with the ultimate objective to make them fully self-sufficient.