Birgunj, April 29

Normal life has been hit hard due heat wave, which continues to prevail across Bara and Parsa districts of late.

With the onset of summer, health facilities in the Tarai districts have become overcrowded due to huge inflow of patients. On the other hand, there has been a sharp decline in the number of service seekers visiting government offices. Daily wage labourers and rickshaw pullers have been hit the worst.

“The movement of people in the streets and market places had thinned due to extreme heat. Birgunj recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degree Celsius on Friday and meteorologists have predicted that it may further rise,” said Raju Gupta, an operator of a cold store at Ghantaghar area of Birgunj.

Around 60 to 70 patients visit Birgunj-based Narayani sub-regional hospital every day. “With the rise in temperature, the number of the patients may go up. Number of patients suffering from diarrhoea, typhoid, viral fever, among others, has gone up,” said doctor Manoj Gupta.

“The number of seasonal patients visiting primary health centre and health posts has also increased, said Raj Kirshor Pandit, chief of District Public Health Office, Parsa.

Similarly, farmers in the districts are disappointed due to the prolonged drought.