Patients with cold-related diseases surge

DOT Desk: Hospitals in Dhaka and other parts of the country have been struggling to deal with a surging number of patients with cold-related diseases as a moderate cold wave is sweeping over some regions of the country, reports The New Age.
Dhaka Shishu Hospital is referring patients to other hospitals as it is struggling to cope with rising number of children with cold-related diseases. Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujib Medical University paediatric department is being forced to allocate each bed to three kids with cold-related diseases as the wards are struggling to cope with the flow of patients.The northern and south-western districts are worst affected areas, officials said. Since December 1, more than 22,000 people visited public hospitals with cold-related diseases, mostly acute respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, asthma and bronchitis, according to Directorate General of Health Services.
Health directorate control room doctor Borhan Uddin told New Age on Monday that the number of patients visiting public hospitals since December 1 was 7,215 with acute respiratory tract infection, 7,763 with diarrhoea and 7,067 with other cold related diseases.
According to the control room record, cold-related patients were coming mainly from 140 upazilas, mostly in the northern districts and some south-western districts.
Met office in its bulletin on Monday said that a moderate cold wave was sweeping over the regions of Panchagarh and Kurigram and a mild cold wave was sweeping over the regions of Moulovibazar, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Chuadanga and it might continue.
Night temperature may fall in the next three days, the bulletin said.
The number of patients with cold-related diseases also increased in the capital.
Dhaka Shishu Hospital acting director Syed Shafi Ahmed Muaz said that on an average about 500 children were visiting the outpatient department and 50 per cent of them suffered from cold-related diseases.
The hospital also admits about 5-10 children with pneumonia every day, he said.
The director said that they could not admit all the patients and refer many to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and other hospitals because of accommodation shortage.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital paediatric department resident physician Rajesh Majumdar said that the number of children with cold-related diseases increased at the hospital as the cold wave continued to sweep across the country.
He said that 30-50 pneumonia patients were taking admission every day and many of them were referred by the Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujib Medical University.
Rajesh said that5 about 60 per cent patients coming at the paediatric outpatient department were suffering from cold-related diseases, including common cold, breathing complication and diarrhoea.
The hospital’s paediatric inpatient wards are struggling to cope with the flow of patients, he said, adding that the increased flow of patients compelled them to allot each bed to three kids.