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Heat leads to widespread diarrhoea

Shaheen Mollah and NajmulAlam Nobin
The number of diarrhoea patients being admitted to hospitals in the capital has been steadily increasing over the last few days.
Hospital sources blame this increase on the sweltering weather which is making people drink a lot of water which is sometimes contaminated.
Two-year-old Riya of Narayanganj died at the ICDDR, B yesterday after she was taken there in critical condition. Doctors on duty said she died as she was in an advance state of diarrhoea. She could have been saved if she had been admitted their sooner, they said.
The number of diarrhoea patients increased at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka Shishu Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital and Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital during the last seven days.
Officials at the ICDDR,B, where most of the diarrhoea patients receive treatment, said during the last two days 1,058 patients were admitted to the hospital. On April 19 the number of patients was 501, on April 18, 432 and on April 17, 414 patients were admitted. They said in February around 200 patients on average were admitted to the hospital per day.
They also said around 60 percent of the patients were usually children but now the children to adult ratio is almost 50:50.
Dr Mark Pietroni, administrator Dhaka Hospital and physiciar of ICDDR,B. told The Daily Star that usually during the pre- and post-monsoon times the number of patients admitted to the hospital increases. "Now it is the premonsoon period," he said.
He said, TWo-thirds of the patients become well within 12 to 24 hours and the rest have to stay more than a day in the hospital."
Visiting the hospital 1 he Daily Star correspondents saw that most of the patients were of the working class. They usually become infected by drinking water from roadside sources, hospital sources claimed. They said drinking water from drying up rivers and brooks, where there is a high concentration of bacteria, is also a reason for the infections.
A medical officer of the ICDDR,B said, "Even though the number of patients is increasing, the present diarrhoea situation is not that alarming and certainly not out of control."
At least 28 diarrhoea patients were admitted to the Dhaka • Shishu Hospital yesterday, said hospital officials. Over 100 patients have been receiving treatment daily at the outdoor section of the hospital on an average.
Dr Mahabubul Hasan, deputy director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, told The Daily Star, "The number of diarrhoea patients is increasing day by day but most of them receive treatment at the outdoor section."
Mahabub, also a child and nutrition specialist, said to have relief from the heat children and adults are having unclean drinks and summer fruits mostly sold on roadside stalls. This is a major source of the infections, he said.
"Fever is also seen with diarrhoea now," he added.
Doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) told The Daily Star, "Over 100 patients a day are coming to the outdoor section of the hospital with diarrhoea."
Wholesale medicine traders at the Mitfort Medicine Market in Old Dhaka said during the last two weeks the sale of oral salirie has increased four to five times the usual.
Doctors advise patients to drink oral saline and eat boiled green bananas if one gets diarrhoea.