Over 100 land in Gaibandha Sadar Hospital in 12 hrs

Over a hundred patients got admitted to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital with serious diarrhoeal problem in 12 hours as the disease saw a sudden outbreak in Gaibandha town and adjoining areas early yesterday.

The disease first appeared at two students' boarding houses at Thanapara and Khanka Sharif in the municipality, forcing the patients to go to the hospital, said locals.

Afterwards, patients from Paschimpara, College Road, Palashpara, Masterpara and Banierjan rushed to hospital with the same problem.

Many patients had to stay in the corridor and veranda as the accommodation capacity of the hospital is too small.

Several patients complained that there was no physician in the emergency ward for the treatment of patients.

Meanwhile stock of cholera saline in the hospital finished and the patients' relatives had to buy it from local market that too fell short of the essential medicine, said relatives of patients.

"To meet the crisis, we have asked medicine traders in Rangpur to urgently supply 300 packets of cholera saline. We also started announcement through loudspeakers, asking people not to drink water without purifying," said Shamsul Alam, mayor of Gaibandha municipality.

"The epidemic might be due to contaminated drinking water. However, proper test will be needed to ascertain the reason," said Dr Azad Mandol, in-charge resident medical officer of Gaibandha Sadar Hospital.

Meanwhile, over 30 patients have already been released from the hospital and the situation is now under control, he said.