Hospitalization of children with fever, diarrhoea and itching is on the rise in the district  due to heat wave that is sweeping different parts of the country.

“At least 400 to 500 children took treatment every day at outdoor unit in the last seven days. Most of the children came with   cold, fever, diarrhoea, itching and other diseases caused by excessive hot weather,” said Dr Mrityunjay Saha Swapan of Dr Zahed Memorial Child Hospital, the lone pediatric hospital in the district.

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During a visit to the hospital on Saturday, the UNB correspondent found parents from suburb and sadar upazila were crowding the specialised hospital with their sick children.

According to the hospital authorities the number of patients has been doubled in the last seven days.

Suthi Saha, a housewife from Tepakhola of the municipality are who was waiting for her serial at the hospital said, “Small blisters developed on my child’s body due to scorching heat and he is not eating anything.”

Sabina Begum from Tambulkhana area came with her two-year old son Sayid Sheikh who has been suffering from fever for last two days. “It was hard to get an appointment as there was too much pressure of patients at the hospital,” she said.

However, doctors of the hospital said there is no reason to worry as awareness of parents can prevent the children from getting sick in this scorching heat.

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Dr Mrityunjay Saha said , “Parents have to prevent children from spending too much time outside in the sun. The children must intake cold food and oral saline along with doctor’s suggestion to remain safe from heat related health problems.”