bdnews24.com :
Sonu Biswas of Ektarpur village in Jhenaidah district’s Moheshpur Upazila died on Jun 28. Anwara Begum, the wife of Sonu’s brother and Sonu’s daughter ‘Rabeya’ died five days later. The next day, the family lost Sonu’s brother Abdar Hossain.
All four had fever and cold, symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, said Abdur Rahman, chief executive of the Rural Development Centre at the Upazila bordering with India, where the Delta variant of the coronavirus has caused a devastating second wave of infections.
People at most of the homes in Moheshpur are suffering from fever, but they are resorting to home remedies and turning to doctors only when there is a trouble breathing, said Rahman.
According to his organisation, at least 16 people died with COVID-19 symptoms in Moheshpur. Government records show 10 others have died in the Upazila after being diagnosed with the disease.
Many of the residents had returned from India in past two months, and some of them had tested positive for the coronavirus before the bout of fever began in the villages, said Rahman.
In Jhenaidah district, as many as seven coronavirus patients died in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning. Four others died with symptoms. The district also reported 156 new cases in the same period, said Civil Surgeon Dr Selina Begum.
Doctors said most of the coronavirus patients are coming from the villages now.
The authorities have doubled the number of beds at the Covid unit of the state-run Jhenaidah General Hospital to 100 to tackle the increased pressure, but more are needed now.
As many as 124 Covid-19 patients were receiving treatment at the hospital on Wednesday, said Dr Harun Or Rashid, supervisor of the hospital.
“We can’t save many of the patients because they are arriving at the last minute.”
Suhash Ranjan Howlader, spokesman for the Covid unit of Khulna Medical College Hospital, believes the coronavirus is affecting more people in the countryside now because the population of the areas are under-vaccinated.
“Most of the conscious citizens in the urban areas received the vaccine after the first wave of infections. They are more aware of the health. But people have in villages lack awareness. This is why more of them are getting infected in the second wave.”
Doctors at Jashore General Hospital have been treating Covid-19 patients on rickshaw-vans on the porch due to a lack of beds as even the corridors are crammed with people needing medical attention amid a deadly surge in infections.
Health workers are struggling to attend to the huge rush of patients coming from remote areas. Both the number of cases and the death toll are rising every day.
A person was transferred from Chandpur to Dhaka’s Covid-19 hospital in Mohakhali with symptoms of the disease on Tuesday, Jul 6, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove
Chairmen of local union councils said many people are suffering from fever and cold.
Usually, influenza prevails during monsoon. On top of that, coronavirus infections have spread, adding to the woes of the people and stretching the health facilities.
Most patients are arriving at the hospital when their condition deteriorates severely.
They require oxygen support immediately upon arrival, said Akhtaruzzaman, supervisor of the hospital. “It may lead to an oxygen shortage soon,” he feared.
“People are wasting precious time for treatment before they realise whether they are suffering from common cold or coronavirus,” said Shaharul Islam, chairman of Arabpur union council.
