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A diarrhoea outbreak has gripped Barguna, with over 120 people reporting sick at the general hospital in the past 24 hours.
Officials said that as many 124 patients were admitted to Barguna General Hospital in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. Of them, 43 -- including women and children -- have recovered and discharged.
UNB has learnt that the hospital is struggling to provide treatment to patients, with diarrhoea cases rising by the day. More than 5000 patients have been brought to the hospital since the outbreak of the stomach ailment about a month ago.
From the earlier 25-30 patients a day, the daily footfall in the hospital has increased to 100 in the last three days, according to doctors. With only eight beds dedicated for diarrhoea patients, many are being forced to lie on the hospital floor.
Saju, a patient, said, "Since my admission to the hospital on Monday night, not a single doctor has come to see me. Only nurses are attending to the patients."
Sohrab Uddin, a supervisor at Barguna General Hospital, said, “We are facing a shortage of beds and doctors. If the situation continues to worsen, we will be in a real crisis. However, we are trying our best to ensure the best possible treatment to the patients."
Civil Surgeon Dr Maria Hasan said, “The number of diarrhoea patients is high due to heat waves in the district."