Crisis now shifts to public health

Thousands of flood-affected families across Chattogram division are grappling with an acute shortage of safe drinking water and damaged sanitation facilities, raising fears of a wider public health emergency as cases of diarrhoea, skin infections and snakebites continue to increase.

Recent flooding, triggered by heavy rainfall, hill runoff and landslides, damaged 19,961 tube wells and 5,694 toilets in the worst-hit upazilas of Banshkhali, Satkania and Chandanaish, according to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).

The floods also damaged 81 health facilities across the district.

Although floodwaters have begun to recede, health officials say the risk is far from over.

Public health experts warned that distributing water purification tablets alone would not be sufficient.

They stressed the need for alternative safe water sources, improved sanitation and strengthened disease surveillance to prevent outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera and other waterborne illnesses.

Dr Sushanta Barua, member secretary of the Chattogram Public Health Rights Protection Committee, said official estimates showed that nearly 20,000 tube wells and about 6,000 toilets had been damaged, leaving thousands of people vulnerable to disease.

DPHE data show that 12,110 tube wells were completely destroyed, while 7,851 sustained partial damage.

Restoring the fully damaged installations will require around Tk73 crore, with another Tk8 crore needed for repairs.

Banshkhali suffered the greatest damage, with 8,026 tube wells and 2,472 toilets affected.

Satkania recorded damage to 7,127 tube wells and 2,156 toilets, while Chandanaish reported 4,808 damaged tube wells and 1,066 toilets.

DPHE Executive Engineer Palash Chandra Das said ensuring access to safe drinking water and preventing waterborne diseases remained the department’s top priority.

Around 600,000 water purification tablets have already been distributed, while damage assessments have been sent to the ministry for funding.

The department is also considering raising the platforms of newly installed tube wells to reduce future flood damage.

According to the Civil Surgeon’s Office, 112 medical camps and 32 mobile medical teams have treated 45,200 flood-affected people.

Authorities distributed 77,500 oral saline packets, 65,900 water purification tablets, 85,100 paracetamol tablets and 23,750 antihistamine tablets.

Treatment was also provided to 118 snakebite victims, while 800 vials of antivenom remain available in district health facilities.

The health impact is becoming increasingly visible in the worst-affected areas. In Banshkhali, 16 community clinics and one sub-centre remain closed after being inundated.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Nazma Akter said 30-40 per cent of current patients were suffering from skin diseases, while diarrhoea cases had also increased.

In Satkania, more than 6,000 people received treatment through medical camps and mobile teams.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Amit Dey said around half of them were suffering from skin diseases, including deep fungal infections caused by prolonged exposure to floodwater.

The upazila is also admitting 10-12 diarrhoea patients daily.

In Chandanaish, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Reshmi Chakma said skin diseases were increasing, with around 30 patients seeking treatment each day, while cases of fever and respiratory illness had also risen slightly.

Across the wider Chattogram division, hospitals in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and the three hill districts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari have reported growing numbers of patients with diarrhoea, skin infections and snakebites following the floods that began on 8 July, submerged vast areas for seven consecutive days and claimed 23 lives.

Dr Amit Dey warned that the acute shortage of safe drinking water could trigger a surge in cholera, diarrhoea and skin infections. Dr Nazma Akter echoed those concerns, saying coastal communities already facing chronic freshwater shortages were particularly vulnerable.

Chattogram Divisional Health Director Dr Fazle Rabbi said medical teams had been deployed before the floods and essential supplies were pre-positioned.

“So far, we have distributed more than 50,000 water purification tablets from a stock of 200,000, and we have ample supplies of saline and essential medicines to cope with any further rise in cases.”

Health and DPHE officials said restoring damaged tube wells, maintaining medical camps and expanding access to safe drinking water would be critical to preventing a second humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the floods.