Flash flood: 290 medical teams deployed in Ctg

The Chattogram Civil Surgeon yesterday said they have formed 290 medical teams to combat the flood situation.
“Our medical teams are ready to combat any situation in the aftermath of flood,” said Dr Ilias Chowdhury, Chattogram civil surgeon.
People stranded in different upazilas — including Fatikchhari, Hathazari, Rangunia and Raozan in Chattogram district – urgently need purified water, as almost all the tube wells and other sources of drinking water have been submerged.
Although flood water started receding in several areas after rainfall stopped for 24 hours, around 2.6 lakh people in Chattogram district were stranded in flood water, according to officials of Chattogram District Administration.
According to local sources, the district health staffers were supplying water purification tablets (WPT) and oral saline (ORS) to the people affected by flood in the upazilas, but many of them feared that these supplies would run out due to high demand.
“Almost all the tube wells in Narayanhat union in Fatickchhari upazila have gone under water, while most of the ponds were also submerged by flood water,” said Abdul Halim, a resident in the union, adding, “We have received oral saline and water purification tablets from the relief teams.”
However, officials of the district civil surgeon office assured that there was sufficient stock of WPT and ORS, so people should not panic.
Chattogram District Civil Surgeon Dr Ilias Chowdhury said, “We have sufficient stock of WPT and ORS to combat the present situation and we have already sent requisition for more supplies.”
Asked about the stock, he said at present there are 1.11 lakh pieces of WPT and 3.48 lakh packets of ORS in stock in the district.
According to experts, many of the flood affected people would likely suffer from various water-borne diseases — including diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery and jaundice.
Contacted,  Dr Aniruddha Ghosh, professor of Medicine at Chittagong Medical College, said people in the flood affected areas are vulnerable to many diseases. Infants, young children and elderly people are the most vulnerable groups.
“So, they will need immediate medical care,” he also said.
“Their drinking water and water for cooking and washing hands and mouth must be purified,” he added.