Surge in cases of dehydration, diarrhoea amid summer heatwave

Staff Reporter  :
In the scorching heat of summer, the rise in temperature across the country has been causing a surge in cases of dehydration and diarrhoea.
Among the most vulnerable are the elderly and children, who are bearing the brunt of the heatwave.
Every day around 500 patients, mostly children, are being admitted to ICDDR,B for diarrheal treatment. This figure is a significant increase from the average of 300 patients during normal periods. The sudden rise in cases has raised concerns among hospital authorities.
According to the ICDDR,B register book, some 534 patients were admitted on April 10, 484 on April 11, 491 on April 12, 515 on April 13, 530 on April 14, 565 on April 15, 522 on April 16, 534 on April 17.
On Monday, Yesmin Ara, a resident from Mirpur, brought her seven-year-old son to the ICDDR,B for treatment for diarrhoea as he had fallen ill.
“My son became sick all of a sudden, so I rushed him here for treatment. Thankfully, he is now recovering,” she said.
Doctors have attributed the increase in cases to the unbearably hot weather, which is causing people to become dehydrated quickly.
The hospital authorities are urging people to take the necessary precautions to remain hydrated, including drinking plenty of water and taking saline water.
ICDDR,B Media Manager AKM Tariful Islam told the media that the rate of diarrhoeal cases rises during the hot weather compared with the normal period.
“Generally the diarrheal patients increase during the rainy and winter seasons. This pressure still exists during this time due to extreme hot weather,” he said.
ICDDR,B Senior Scientific Officer Dr Iqbal Hossain told the media that the number of diarrheal patients has increases in the last few days due to sweltering heat.
“With the rise of temperature, people from all ages are affected by diarrhea. Everyone remains thirsty during the hot weather. Many of them are taking unsafe water and unhealthy food. As a result many of them are being affected by food poisoning,” he said.
He has advised to keep hands clean before taking food and to follow the health rules. The doctors also advised that people should take plenty of safe water, clean food and should avoid stale food to remain safe from diarrhoea related diseases.