Ferry services disrupted
The cold snap claimed the lives of at least 14 new born babies in Rangpur in last seven days, Rangpur Medical College Hospital director Rezaul Karim said Saturday.
The RMCH is overcrowded with child patients, said Rangpur Medical College’s head of Paediatrics department MA Mottakin. Most of the admitted patients are suffering from asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, and rotavirus diarrhea and skin diseases, he said.
Cold snap with heavy fog disrupted normal life and communication almost throughout the country.
The ferry service between Paturia and daulatdia came to a halt for the second day on Saturday.
There is also an outbreak of cold related ailments, said doctors.
A four day old baby died of pneumonia and at least 20 patients of cold related diseases ere admitted to Chatmohor Health Complex in last two days, reported New Age Pabna correspondent quoting the upazila heath complex medical officer Azizur Rahman that
New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that the ferry service between Paturia and Daulatdia which resumed on Saturday morning after 11 hours was halted for the second time due to poor visibility caused by dense fog.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation manager at Paturia Biddut Kumer Saha said, four ferries carrying vehicles and passengers were forced to anchor in the mid-river.
The ferry service disruption caused a three-kilometer long tailback at Paturia on Dhaka-Aricha Highway and a four -kilometer long tailback at Daulatdia on the other side of the Padma river.
New Age Barisal correspondent reported, that the cold snap and fog caused disruptions in communication and normal life.
The hand to mouth day labourers and slum dwellers became the worst sufferers in southern region, he reported.
Disruptions caused by heavy fog delayed the movement of road and water transports by up to six hours.
Heavy fog and cold snap sweeping most of the northern districts for last few days made life miserable for the homeless and low-income groups living by the rivers.
New Age correspondents in Rajshahi, Pabna, Rangpur and Lamonirhat reported that the needy farmers and day laborers became the worst sufferers of the chilly winds unable to work in the biting cold.
New Age Rangpur and Rajshahi correspondents also reported that the number of the patients especially children suffering from fever, bronchitis, diarrhea, rotavirus, pneumonia and other cold related ailments increased sharply.
Rajshahi Medical College Hospital’s Paediatrics department professor Iqbal Bari told New Age, all the three Pediatrics wards of the hospital were overcrowded with patients suffering from cold related diseases.
There is no matching efforts from the government and the NGOs to stand by the needy in this chilly weather, said the poor.
-With New Age input
