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Manikganj is witnessing a sharp rise in diarrhoea cases, with children being the most affected.
The 250-bed district hospital's diarrhoea unit, which has a capacity of 20 beds, is struggling to accommodate patients, according to a UNB report.
Many patients are being treated on the floor due to overcrowding, putting additional pressure on nurses and doctors.
According to hospital authorities, the number of diarrhoea patients began to increase in October.
The unit treated 359 patients in October and 355 in November. The trend continued into December, with over 600 patients admitted from the start of the month until December 23.
Alpana Akter, in charge of the diarrhoea ward, said that around 20 patients are arriving daily, most of whom are children. Each child is often accompanied by two or three family members, exacerbating the space shortage. Some patients, unable to secure space, have opted for private clinics or hospitals.
Shiuli Begum, the mother of 4-year-old Akib, who is currently admitted, said that her child had been experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea.
Despite some improvement after two days of treatment, symptoms persist. She also raised concerns about the ward's unhygienic conditions, which may pose additional health risks to patients and caregivers.
Furthermore, many essential medicines are unavailable, forcing families to purchase them from outside.
Dr ABM Touhiduzzaman, residential medical officer (RMO) of the hospital, confirmed that the diarrhea unit has only 20 beds but is accommodating 30 to 40 patients daily. He acknowledged that overcrowding has led to deteriorating sanitary conditions.
However, the nurses and doctors on duty at the diarrhoea unit said they were providing medical services to the best of their ability.
They are struggling to get treatment due to the pressure of additional patients. There are enough food saline, paracetamol medicines for diarrhoea patients, but due to the lack of supply of Ciprocin medicines, including cholera saline, patients have to buy them from outside.
Pediatric specialist Dr Nilufar Yasmin highlighted that cold-related illnesses are contributing to the influx of child patients. She attributed the increase in diarrhoea cases primarily to rotavirus infections, which are more common in winter. To prevent further cases, she advised maintaining hygiene, keeping children warm, and avoiding cold foods.
Hospital Superintendent Dr Baha Uddin said that additional measures are being taken to manage the patient overflow, including plans to transfer diarrhoea patients to other wards. However, the current situation remains critical due to space constraints and medicine shortages.