Shortage of saline as diarrhoea patients rise in Faridpur

The government hospital in Faridpur's Sadar Upazila is facing a shortage of saline with more than 600 diarrhoea patients admitted to the facility over a span of 12 days.

The authorities of Faridpur Sadar General Hospital had sent a letter to the Health Services Division demanding 7,000 bags of IV saline this season, according to Faridpur Civil Surgeon Siddiqur Rahman.

However, the hospital got only 1,200 bags, he said on Friday, as the demand for IV saline increased across the country amid the worst dengue outbreak.
The diarrhoea patients, mostly women and children, are receiving a single bag of IV saline a day despite the treatment requiring at least three.

Families of the diarrhoea patients are complaining about a shortage of saline supplies in the drug stores also.
They are unable to buy the cholera IV saline even at high costs due to the shortage.

The hospital has bought 500 saline bags from Faridpur Bangabandhu Medical College Hospital as they received no response from the government.

"There will be a huge problem if the pressure of patients remains high and the saline crisis continues," said Ganesh Kumar Agarwala, resident medical officer of Faridpur Sadar General Hospital.

A shortage of beds has added to the woes of the patients while doctors and nurses are overwhelmed by the sudden increase in the number of diarrhoea patients.

Many patients are receiving treatments in the corridors. �bdnews24.com