Around 23 lakh Dhaka residents will get two doses of an oral vaccine against cholera, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Wednesday.
“People of all ages except pregnant women will be given the vaccine,” DGHS spokesperson Dr Nazmul Islam said at the daily briefing on the Diarrhoea situation.
The first dose of the vaccine will be given in May while the second one in June, said Dr Nazmul.
In the first phase, the vaccination programme will be conducted in five areas of the capital- Jatrabari, Dakshinkhan, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Sabujbagh.
No registration is required to receive this vaccine, he said.
“Everyone will be informed about the process once the schedule and the centres are fixed. Arrangements will be made so that people can get the vaccine at the nearest centre.”
Dr Nazmul Islam said various steps have already been taken for the proper management of diarrhoea patients and to prevent the outbreak of water-borne disease.
Additional beds have been included in hospitals for diarrhoea patients. Besides, diarrhoea wards are being set up, he added.
Dr Nazmul also said physicians are being trained to provide treatment to diarrhoea patients and more than 60 doctors have already been trained in this regard.
Regarding the preparations at the hospitals, he further said that necessary medicines for diarrhoea patients such as IV saline, oral saline, water purification tablets etc. are being sent to hospitals as per the demand.
Adequate IV saline is being stockpiled in all departments and medical teams have been formed in all the diarrhoea-affected areas, he added.
A total of 4,528 medical teams are working across the country to fight diarrhoea and the hospitals have 3,30,000 bags of 500 ml IV saline and 4 lakh bags of 1000 ml IV saline in stock.
He also said that another 1,60,000 bags of 1000 ml IV saline will be procured soon.
There is no substitute to awareness to prevent the diarrhoea outbreak, said the DGHS spokesperson.
“Anyone suffering from diarrhoea should immediately take oral saline as well as consult the nearest hospital. All hospitals including those in districts and upazilas are ready to give treatment for the disease,” he added.
