Heat multiplies health woes

At least 8,000 people, including children, have been treated for diarrhoea at the International Centre of Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB), as oppressive heat has started taking a toll on the residents of the capital since April 6.
The intake of patients has remained more or less steady, with 486 people reporting at the city hospital until midnight. The number was 345 until 5pm yesterday and may go up afterwards, Dr Azaharul Islam Khan, chief physician of the ICDDRB, told The Independent.
The rush of patients began from the first week of April, he said.
The figure rose to nearly 500 on Sunday afternoon. Of them, 60 per cent were adults and elderly people, while the rest were children. These patients have come from the city as well as from its suburbs.
Children are more vulnerable to heat, and they suffer from the intake of stale food and unsafe water, said Khan.
He noted that the deadly combination of diarrhoea and heat is the most fatal when people do not drink pure or boiled water, opt for contaminated or stale food, do not drink plenty of water, allow exposure to heat, and fail to maintain basic hygiene.
He suggested that babies up to six months be only fed breast milk by mothers. Children and adults must maintain basic hygiene and consume plenty of water, avoid stale food and contaminated water, and remain in cool and shady places.
Meanwhile, there was no let-up from the heat yesterday, as the city came under a mild to moderate heat wave blowing across the Dhaka region, along with the regions of greater Faridpur, Tangail, and Rajshahi and Khulna divisions.
In Dhaka city, the mercury soared to 36 degrees Celsius yesterday from Monday's maximum temperature of 33.8 degrees Celsius.
The highest maximum temperature yesterday was recorded at 39.6 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi.
The mercury may go upwards for another day or two, said Ruhul Kuddus, a meteorologist at the Dhaka Met Office, unless rains that may come on April 25 and 26 douse the heat. He, however, warned that the pre-monsoon heat is likely to continue, barring the relief brought by some nor'westers throughout April, until the middle of the next month.
Cyclone-driven rains, harbingers of monsoon, would eventually ease the horrors of heat from early June, he added.

Heat multiplies health woes

At least 8,000 people, including children, have been treated for diarrhoea at the International Centre of Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB), as oppressive heat has started taking a toll on the residents of the capital since April 6. The intake of patients has remained more or less steady, with 486 people reporting at the city hospital until midnight. The number was 345 until 5pm yesterday and may go up afterwards, Dr Azaharul Islam Khan, chief physician of the ICDDRB, told The Independent. The rush of patients began from the first week of April, he said. The figure rose to nearly 500 on Sunday afternoon. Of them, 60 per cent were adults and elderly people, while the rest were children. These patients have come from the city as well as from its suburbs. Children are more vulnerable to heat, and they suffer from the intake of stale food and unsafe water, said Khan. He noted that the deadly combination of diarrhoea and heat is the most fatal when people do not drink pure or boiled water, opt for contaminated or stale food, do not drink plenty of water, allow exposure to heat, and fail to maintain basic hygiene. He suggested that babies up to six months be only fed breast milk by mothers. Children and adults must maintain basic hygiene and consume plenty of water, avoid stale food and contaminated water, and remain in cool and shady places. Meanwhile, there was no let-up from the heat yesterday, as the city came under a mild to moderate heat wave blowing across the Dhaka region, along with the regions of greater Faridpur, Tangail, and Rajshahi and Khulna divisions. In Dhaka city, the mercury soared to 36 degrees Celsius yesterday from Mondays maximum temperature of 33.8 degrees Celsius. The highest maximum temperature yesterday was recorded at 39.6 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi. The mercury may go upwards for another day or two, said Ruhul Kuddus, a meteorologist at the Dhaka Met Office, unless rains that may come on April 25 and 26 douse the heat. He, however, warned that the pre-monsoon heat is likely to continue, barring the relief brought by some norwesters throughout April, until the middle of the next month. Cyclone-driven rains, harbingers of monsoon, would eventually ease the horrors of heat from early June, he added.