Treatment seekers lie on the floor of the veranda of Chapainawabganj Adhunik Sadar Hospital yesterday as its diarrhoea ward now fails to accommodate all the patients amid sudden rise of the waterborne disease in the municipality area. Photo: Star

Chapainawabganj Adhunik Sadar Hospital is seeing upsurge in diarrhoea cases as the disease continues to spread in different areas of the municipality.

Hospital sources said over 10 diarrhoea patients, mostly children and women, were admitted to the hospital between 6:00 am and 11:00 am yesterday. 175 people attacked by the disease were admitted between Sunday night and yesterday morning.

Bakul Sarkar of Masjid Para said four people of his family, including his mother, were attacked by diarrhoea and took treatment at the hospital.

When this correspondent visited Sadar Hospital yesterday, he saw many diarrhoea patients were being treated in the hospital corridor due to lack of accommodation.

Over 40 to 50 patients come to the hospital every day, but the hospital authorities cannot provide them with accommodation at the 10-bed ward meant for diarrhoea patients, said a senior staff nurse of the hospital.

According to a hospital source, 40 to 50 patients arrive every day at the outdoor section also. The on-duty doctors are providing better healthcare services for them. "We are facing problems in dealing with the growing number of patients due to shortage of manpower," the nurse added.

Most of the patients are from Masjid Para, Alinagar, Balubagan, and PTI areas in Chapainawabganj municipality.

Dr. Shafiqul Islam, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of Adhunik Sadar Hospital, said there is no shortage of oral saline and necessary medicines at the hospital, except for IV fluid. He has informed the higher authorities about the matter, he added.

Most people were attacked by diarrheoa after drinking unsafe water supplied by the municipality, he alleged.

Saidur Rahman, acting mayor of Chapainawabganj municipality, said they are supplying safe drinking water from their pumps, but there was a leak in the supply line at Pathan Para, which was repaired.

The municipal authorities advised townspeople to drink boiled water.