Business Desk :
Friendship has taken special initiatives to ensure healthcare and meet the urgent needs of people affected by floods. The social purpose organisation deployed a water purification unit and formed two medical teams to ensure healthcare in Monoharganj sub district of Cumilla district and Chhagalnaiya sub district of Feni district, in the eastern part of the country in some of the most inaccessible areas affected by the flood. In addition to this, Friendship has stood by the flood-affected people with food and essential hygiene supplies through relief distribution.
A mobile water purification units have been deployed to ensure safe drinking water in the flood-affected areas of eastern Bangladesh-Daudkandi and Burichang in Cumilla and Pashuram and Chhagalnaiya in Feni. During times of flood, even though there is water everywhere, most of it is extremely unsafe to drink and is a vector for water-borne diseases. Consequently, providing water that is not filled with sand, debris, trash, pollution, and dead animal carcasses is an immediate concern. As such, the water purification system installed by Friendship can process 500 litres and hour, and has thus far provided 8,000 liters of drinking water.
In parallel, special emphasis is being placed on emergency treatment for waterborne diseases like diarrhea or skin infections, as well as healthcare for pregnant women, adolescent girls, and elderly women. 50 to 60 patients are being treated each day, with about 55% of them being women. The organisation is working on a plan to provide healthcare in 16 locations over 8 days, covering two locations each day. Friendship has plans to bring over 40,000 local residents under healthcare coverage in Cumilla and Feni.
1,000 families were provided with 10 days worth of food and hygiene kits. The relief that has been distributed to a thousand families include 10 kg rice, 2 kg pulses, 2 litres of cooking oil, 1 kg of salt, 1 kg of sugar, 500g of flattened rice, 500g of semolina, 1 packet of sanitary napkins, 2 bars of detergent, 1 bar of soap and 5 packets of saline. Finally, four solar power stations have been set up to provide emergency electricity in the flood-affected areas. People can charge their phones to contact loved ones or coordinate with emergency services, use appliances and have some degree of comfort.
Runa Khan, founder of Friendship stated that the sudden floods in the great Cumilla and Noakhali regions have added a new dimension to Bangladesh’s disasters. She said, “Flash floods of this level are unprecedented. The calamity caused is heartbreaking. Local residents could never anticipate such a deluge. The residents of nine districts in the Sylhet, Cumilla, and Noakhali regions are still facing enormous difficulties for survival. High population density has led to a great number of people being affected. Friendship has always worked on the frontlines with remote communities. Our preparedness goes beyond working in a particular region and thus acts as a multiplier. For example, our flood volunteers, trained over years in the northern chars-never frightened of water or rivers in spate-promptly reached the most inaccessible areas with 7-day family packages, initiated emergency healthcare, and provided fresh drinking water through emergency measures.”