Play store
The government has placed healthcare services on the highest level of alert across 11 flood-hit districts in eastern Bangladesh to ensure uninterrupted medical care, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain said on Monday.
“No patient should be deprived of treatment,” the minister said at a press briefing at the Secretariat, adding that adequate stocks of medicines, saline, antivenom and medical personnel have been kept ready. Additional medical teams will be deployed from the central level if required.
To maintain continuous healthcare services, leave for health workers in vulnerable districts has been cancelled.
The recent spell of heavy rainfall and flash floods has inundated several areas in the Chattogram region, disrupting communication, economic activities and access to healthcare.
Special medical services are currently being provided in 11 affected districts — Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Cumilla and Brahmanbaria.
The minister noted that in some cases, when floodwaters entered hospital ground floors, doctors and staff worked overnight to relocate equipment and keep services running.
A senior physician has been assigned to monitor the health situation in each district, while the Health Ministry’s control room is operating situation to coordinate response efforts and collect field-level information.
Authorities are maintaining close coordination with district administrations, civil surgeons and local health officials. Special instructions have also been issued to ensure care for pregnant women, children and people in remote areas.
Highlighting increased risks during floods, the minister urged people to seek hospital treatment for snakebites instead of relying on traditional healers. He said five snakebite patients admitted on the first night of flooding have already recovered after receiving antivenom.
Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said 95 snakebite patients have so far been treated successfully in flood-affected areas.
Currently, over 1,000 vials of antivenom are readily available, with 21,000 more stocked at the district level. An additional 25,000 vials are expected within the next 15 days to ensure sufficient supply.
The government is also distributing water purification tablets and maintaining adequate stocks of oral rehydration salts (ORS), intravenous saline and essential medicines to prevent outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera and other waterborne diseases.
Arrangements have also been made to transfer critical patients to higher-level hospitals if necessary.
