Chuadanga sees lowest temperatures in Bangladesh, hospitals swamped by patients

The cold chilling the district’s residents will likely last for a few more days, according to the Met Office

Chuadanga, the border district in the southwest of Bangladesh, is recording the lowest temperatures in the country.

The cold is hampering daily life and people afflicted by diseases exacerbated by the low temperatures are crowding the Chuadanga Sadar Hospital and local health complexes. The fog is also worrying farmers because it may cause issues with the planting of seedbeds.

At 9 am on Saturday, the district recorded a mercury reading of 8.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the whole country, said Raqibul Hasan, officer in charge of the Chuadanga Met Office.

“Dense fog descended this morning, as it has for the past couple of days. The cold is chilling. This may persist for a few more days.”

Even as the day wore on, there were no signs of the sun. A sharp wind only added to the cold. People from poor and low-income groups are not finding work in the villages amid this biting cold and are coming to the district town to look for jobs.

Farm workers braved the chill this morning to work in the fields amid the fog-dampened crops. During their usual work, they are also trying to remove the condensation from the seedbeds to prevent them from being damaged by the damp. But they are worried that the cold may have already damaged their crops.

Many seedbeds seem to have already started to wilt. Potato plants have begun to shrivel and mushuri chickpeas and many other plants are showing signs of disease from the cold and the damp fog. Farmers are trying to compensate by using plant medicines.

“The fog is ruining the seedbeds,” said Bazlu Miah, a farmer from Belgachi Village in the Sadar Upazila. “We are enduring much hardship.”

Farmers must stay alert to ensure that water does not collect in the seedbeds due to the cold and the fog, said Bibhash Chandra Saha, deputy director of the Chuadanga Department of Agriculture Extension. He recommended covering the crops overnight or using jute to remove water in the mornings.

The Chuadanga Sadar Hospital is struggling with a rush of pneumonia patients in its Children’s Ward. The ward, which has some 20 beds including cabins, is caring for three times as many patients. The limited space means that many patients are not getting treatment inside.

The situation is similar at the diarrhoea ward as at least 40 new patients are admitted every day. Meanwhile, at least 1,000 patients are coming to the outdoor clinic each day, according to the hospital authority.

“There’s a huge crowd at this ward,” said Ashrai Ali, a patient in the diarrhoea ward. “There are no free beds and so we have to lay on the floor.”

There have been more pneumonia and diarrhoea patients recently, said Dr Fateh Akram, resident medical officer at the hospital. Elderly patients are coming in with breathing difficulties. The hospital has admitted twice as many patients as they have beds and there is added pressure on the outdoor clinic too.

More patients have been coming to the Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex in the past week than normal, said Mostafizur Rahman, resident medical officer. About 30 to 40 people are coming in every day and most of them are suffering from illnesses related to the cold.