The overall diarrhoea situation remained unchanged in southern districts, while the Dhaka Water Supply Authorities have doubled the dose of chlorine to combat the disease in the seriously affected parts of the capital, official sources said Tuesday.
The death toll rose to 884 with 13 fresh deaths reported Tuesday from five of the eight affected districts and the WASA s initiative came following health expert s suggestion for hyperchlorination of the water supply.
There was no death in the capital but more than 6,000 X Aden Is al Sabujbag. Sutrapur, Kotwali and Lalbagh i areas were admitted to four city hospitals in past 15 days, one official of the Health Control room said, adding that infusion of excessive chlorine may improve the situation.
NarayanganJ town which is under WASA supply has also been affected since midFebruary where some 1OOO people were taken ill with one death reported.
i Thirteen deaths were reported from Ba ri sal and Jhalokathi where four each I died in the past 24 hours, and also two each from Patuakhali
I and Bhola and one from I I’lrojpur.
Some 48,000 people in-I e luding 814 in past 24 hours, I fell sick with the disease since I the disease turned serious in January in eight districts which included Barguna, Bagerhat and Khulna.
Dhaka International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR.B) failed to accommodate the patients and pitched two tents outside the hospital building with the arrival of increasing number of sick people.
On an average some 400 patients were coming to the centre dally besides those admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. PG Hospital and Midford Hospital.
Chief physician oflCDDR.B told The Dally Star that "It Is cholera-like epidemic caused by vibrio non-01 bacteria."
But no cholera germ was detected in pathological test. The centre tested stool of one out of every 25 patients, he added.
Dr Salam said that contaminated water was the main rea son of the latest spurt of the disease in the country and unhygienic slum dwellers and working class were the worst victim.
He said that drinking of boiled or tablet-purified water and avoidance of junk or uncovered food at the hotel and streetsice eateries may help check the disease
UNB adds Dhaka WASA Chairman Nurul Islam said yesterday morning that mixing of polluted water through the leaked WASA pipes can be reduced by keeping up the pres sure of supply and changing the 60 70 year old waler lines.
mostly in the old city. "Our present supply of water is less than half of the city's requirement", he added.
The WASA chairman refuted a report published in a section of the press today (Tuesday) that bacteria infested WASA water is the major cause for outbreak of diarrhoea and that WASA has failed to take measures in controlling presence of bacteria in its water.
Our Staff Correspondent in Barisal quoting, Deputy Director of the Health Service stationed In the newly established divisional headquarters said that the number of affected people Increased during the past several days.
The health official told The Dally Star that the number of coltform bacteria in waler In creased upto 70 per cubic centimeter which contaminated the water In the region.
Normally four to five such bacteria are found per CC but 10 to 15 are considered as saf<;
He said that the supply of anti-diarrhoeal medicine was satisfactory but there were shortage of doctors In some areas Some 500 medical teams have been working In the aflectcd districts.
The health official predicted that rainfall might Improve the situation.