The bone chilling cold wave, coupled with dense fog paralysed life of common people for the last few days. Country’s lowest temperature 08.5 degree Celsius was recorded in Dinajpur on Sunday.
People, particularly the low-income group living in north, northeast, northwest and mid districts are bearing the brunt of the cold wave.
The cold wave accompanied by dense fog might aggravate the situation in the next two or three days and biting cold wave may continue spreading
across the country.
Common people living in the country’s char areas or near river banks are the worst sufferers.
Besides, dense fog and strong cold wind are multiplying sufferings of the people in many ways. On the other hand, there has been a sharp rise in the number of patients suffering from various cold-related diseases. While the poor are facing the biting cold without
warm clothes.
The low-income people
are bearing the brunt of the cold wave
sweeping different
parts of the country.
As a result, most of the government hospitals and health complexes are struggling to cope with the situation due to shortage of manpower and accommodation. Therefore, cold-related diseases are spreading in different north, northeast, northwest and mid districts due to the cold wave and foggy weather.
Besides, the falling temperature is forcing north people to stay indoors while business are being hampered. Physicians have already warned that the number of patients, especially children and the elderly suffering from cold-related ailments like, respiratory, pneumonia, and diarrhoea, thronging to hospitals might further increase in the coming days.
Therefore, we should all be aware of the potential symptoms of and treatment for cold-related diseases. With cold wave sweeping the country, we saw the local administration distributing warm clothes among the cold-hit people in some places to mitigate their sufferings.
However, we think, blankets will also have to be distributed to the cold-hit poor people under the direct supervision of upazila administration and local government bodies including social organisations.
Apart from the government, the well-off sections of the society and different socio- economic organisations of the country will also have to stand by the cold-affected people as part of social responsibility.