Rajbiraj, July 18

Life has been adversely affected due to the rising temperature in the past four days in Saptari. Locals in the district have been hit hard due to the scorching heat from early morning.

Entrepreneur Baiju Joshi at Rajbiraj Municipality said locals have been dealing with natural calamities one after another. “We were troubled by floods following incessant rainfall a week ago and now we are facing unbearable levels of heat,” he added.

Health workers said heat-related illnesses were becoming rampant. Patients with diarrhoea, common cold and viral fever, among other diseases were rising in the district.

Jaya Krishna Gurmaita at the emergency department of Rajbiraj-based Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital said the number of patients had increased in the hospital. “As many as 40 to 50 patients visit the hospital on a daily basis,” he informed. The number of patients in other hospitals and private clinics has also risen in the district.

Meanwhile, poisonous snakes come out from hibernation in the extreme hot weather. Locals live in constant fear of snakes that hide under beds, corners, and dark places of the houses. Cases of snakebite have also increased significantly in Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital.

Hospital administration said they had been treating patients by accommodating them on the floor, corridors and by assigning single bed to two patients at a time.