Reza Mahmud :Fever, heatstroke, diarrhoea and different diseases continue to rise across the country due to the on-going heat wave. The school-going children are generally the victims of the fever and stomach related diseases.Sources said, every day around five hundred diarrhoea and dehydration patients are taking treatment at the ICDDR,B, a Dhaka-based international health research institute. Dr. Rafiqul Islam, the Senior Medicine Officer of ICDDR,B told The New Nation, “Every day we are treating about five hundred diarrhoea and dehydration patients. The number of patients is increasing day by day. We remain busy with patients every moment.”He said, the hospital has only 350 beds, but we are taking care of patients twice of the bed capacity by arranging tents and more beds on floors on emergency basis. The health experts said, the people should adopt some precautionary measures to remain safe from the adverse impact of the heat wave. They have advised the people not to go outside the house at daytime to avoid heat stroke.Dr. ABM Abdullah, the Dean of Medicine Faculty of Bangabandhu Medical University Hospital, told The New Nation, “People should stay in houses at day time. Everyone should avoid sun ray.””The burning weather makes people affected from dehydration, At the same time, diarrhoea and dysentery attack the children. Everyone should take some precautionary measures by taking saline or salt mixed water after returning home,” he said. He advised the people to drink much salty water but to avoid unsafe drinks and juice. ” My son was attacked with fever three days ago due to unbearable heat wave. He fell sick for attending school overlooking adverse environment,” said Abdul Latif a father of a nursery level student of a school at Mirhazirbagh in the capital city.People in many areas of Dhaka City said that fever, dysentery, dehydrations and many other diseases broke out creating anxiety among their family members.Hospitals and clinics of the city are struggling to treat such patients. Doctors and nurses said, they are admitting increasing number of diarrhoea, dysentery and dehydration patients every day.The guardians of students of many schools have asked the managements to declare summer vacation to save the children from the heat wave.”My son Rishat has been suffering from high fever for three days. The temperature hovers between 102 degree and 104 degree most of the time,” said Naznin, mother of the child living at South Goran, Dhaka.”We have asked the City International School at Gandaria authority to declare summer vacation immediately. Our children are suffering from various kinds of diseases,” said Saidur Rahman Mintu, father of a Nursery level student. Farida Parvin, mother of a student of a school at Jatrabari, said, one of her children and their father are attacked with fever and other stomach related diseases due to on-going heat wave.Mosharraf Hossain, Principal of a school and college at Wari said many of the school children of his institution fell sick. Many of them are attending the on-going examinations with sickness. They are thinking of announcing summer vacations before time.Sarwar Azam Khan, (46), resident of Rampura, said that he was attacked with fever before six days. He was cured on Tuesday, but not yet fully recovered from weakness. Many people like him are ill.”The government should announce public vacations for few days before rainfall, otherwise many of the people may suffer a lot,” said Mizan Sohel, a private company’s official at Motijheel.
