International
Bangladesh health facilities overburdened after floods

Dhaka, Aug. 13 (PTI): Major health facilities in Bangladesh were overburdened with patients suffering from intestinal and other ailments as post-flood diseases have spread in many areas of the country.

Health officials said they overnight recorded over 3,000 new cases of diarrhoea alone, while a total of 34,989 people contracted water-borne disease so far. Another 6,711 were suffering from respiratory diseases.

A spokesman of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases, Bangladesh (ICDDRB) said Sunday they treated 900 patients with diarrhoea. The Dhaka-based specialised international facility on Saturday said they treated a record 1,000 patients, while in normal period they receive less then 300 patients of intestinal diseases a day.

The disaster management control room said death toll in floods reached 268, mostly from drowning, while the health ministry reported another 29 deaths from diarrhoea, respiratory diseases and snake bites.

In view of the massive spread of diarrhoeal diseases, Army Chief General, Moeen U Ahmed, said the authorities planned to use Haji Camp as a makeshift health facility and open up the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for the people afflicted by post-flood diseases.

He made the comment while visiting the crowded ICDDRB, known as Cholera Hospital at Mohakhali, Sunday afternoon.

Ahmed said army and ICDDRB would find a mechanism to share the burden of patients and provide better health services to flood-afflicted people. The military would provide more hospital beds, intravenous fluids, ambulance facilities and additional manpower to tackle the situation.

Meanwhile, UN WFP and UNICEF launched their second round of food distribution to assist about 123,000 flood victims in four central districts and two northern districts. In an immediate response to flood, the two UN bodies distributed food among the victims in northwestern and northern Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and Manikganj districts last week.

"WFP remains concerned about thousands of people in need during this emergency stage. We remain thankful to Australia for their help enabling us to reach other thousands of flood stricken victims in Bangladesh," WFP representative in Bangladesh, Douglas Broderick, said in a statement.

In a separate statement UNICEF representative, Louis-Georges Arsenault, said "UNICEF assessment of the situation confirms that there are some very specific needs for special nutrient for children, pregnant and lactating women which must continue to be addressed."

International

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