Bangladesh News

Diarrhoea has taken an alarming turn in Satkhira, Khulna and Barisal districts, as Cyclone Aila-affected people have been forced to drink contaminated and salty water.

With sea water inundating almost all tube wells, ponds and other waterbodies, people of Shyamnagar and Assasuni upazilas in Satkhira and Dakop and Koira in Khulna are left with no sources of drinking water.

Meanwhile, thousands of people marooned in remote char areas have been starving even five days into the cyclone that ripped through the south-western coast.

As of yesterday evening, the death toll from Monday’s storm was 183. Official sources however put it at 155.

“Supply of safe drinking water cannot even meet one-fourth of the need,” said a diarrhoea victim.

At Shyamnagar of Satkhira, around 600 people are down with diarrhoea every day, Dr Mohammad Ebadullah, district’s civil surgeon, told The Daily Star.

The locals, however, said the number of people affected by diarrhoea is much higher than what the civil surgeon claims.

Our correspondent from Khulna reports: Over 4,000 people marooned by floodwater at Kamarkhola, Sutarkhali, Tildanga, and Banishanta unions have got diarrhoea in the last four days, said Kazi Atiur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Dakop upazila in Khulna.

Chairmen of the unions said the water-borne diseases like diarrhoea are spreading fast because of scant supply of medicines and water purification tablets.

Around 2,000 people stranded in five unions of Koira upazila have contracted diarrhoea.

Arif Pasha, UNO of Koira disputed the number. He claimed only six persons have been admitted to the upazila health complex with diarrhoea, and of them, only one is in critical condition.

He however admitted that medical teams could not yet go to many areas, as road communications there remain snapped due to stagnant water.

At Shyamnagar, yet-to-be-buried bodies of livestock have started rotting and spreading sickening stench. Moreover, a huge amount of dead fish, snakes and other animals were floating on the water, making the air fetid.

People queuing in front of Atulia Union Parishad Health Complex for medicine said scarcity of drinking water has left them no alternative but to drink contaminated water.

Mujibur Morol said he wants medicine for his mother suffering severe stomach pain and vomiting for the last two days.

Those in the remote areas are suffering most as they have to walk a long way for water and food distributed at the upazila complex.

Jarina Khatun said, “I had to wade waist-deep through floodwater to come here for some rice and medicine for my four-year-old girl down with diarrhoea.”

Lokman Ahmed, deputy assistant community medical officer in Atulia Health Complex, said he distributed medicines to 400 diarrhoea patients throughout the day Thursday and 200 in only one and a half hours yesterday.

“The number of patient will keep increasing, but the medicines we have here are not enough to meet the demand,” he said.

Nazrul Islam, health assistant of the upazila health complex, said, “As the number of diarrhoea patients is rising fast we urgently need more oral saline and medicines.”

The storm has left the water in this area filled with salt and iron, he said.

On the main road at Atulia, many were seen waiting for water. They alleged they are not getting adequate water.

The diarrhoea situation is getting worse at Padmapukur, Gabura, Burigowalini, Munshiganj, Bhetkhali Pratapnagar, Assasuni Sadar, Khajra, Anulia, Borodal unions under Shyamnagar and Assasuni upazilas.

District Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammad Ebadullah said as many as 25 medical teams were giving health care services in these two upazilas.

Our correspondent Rafiqul Islam from Barisal reports: Most of the people in remote villages under Amtali upazila of Barguna did not yet receive any relief materials.

There has been an outbreak of diarrhoea in Pocha Koralia, Koraibaria and Chakmaia villages.

Barisal district administration and relief and rehabilitation department sources said so far they have distributed Tk 2.10 lakh in cash and 210 metric tonnes of rice. Now the district authorities have only 10 tonnes of rice and no cash at all.

Health Minister ABM Ruhul Haque who visited the cyclone-hit areas in Shyamnagar upazila told The Daily Star that his ministry is supplying sufficient medicines to contain spread of diarrhoea.

Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque yesterday visited Hatia upazila of Noakhali and distributed relief materials among the affected people. He said the government has adequate relief.