Rajbiraj/Biratnagar, October 24:

Diarrhoea has killed five children in Saptari and Morang districts. Two girls have died of diarrhoea in Saptari district yesterday. The dead are seven-year-old girl Gulabkumari Mukhiya, of Sakarpura-7 and four-year old child, Kalpanakumari Yadav, of Pharset VDC-4. According to Ugrakanta Jha, a local, three dozen people have been suffering from the disease in Sakarpura VDC.

Of them, 12 have been undergoing treatment in a local sub-health post, said in-charge of the health post, Ramnaresh Mandal. Forty villagers have been suffering from the disease in Musahari Tole, Trikaul VDC of Saptari district, said Badri Sharma, chief of the local sub-health post. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old boy, Balaram Yadav, of Inarwa-7, Siraha, died while undergoing treatment at Lauka, India, on Monday.

The emergency ward of the Koshi Zonal Hospital is full of diarrhoea patients, a report from Biratnagar said. Due to lack of beds, over 40 patients are being treated in hospital windows and ladders, said Arjun Mandal, an assistant health worker. The ward has just 10 beds. According to him, over 20 diarrhoea and pneumonia patients turn up at the hospital every day. Meanwhile, diarrhoea has claimed two more lives in Kisunpur Tole of Bisunpur VDC of Bara, a report said. Bhikari Miya Ansari’s three-year-old son Ajaluddin Ansari and Majabullaha Ansari’s four-year- old son Phiroj Ansari lost their lives to the disease. While Phiroj died yesterday, Ajaluddin breathed his last today.