Kala-azar outbreak in Siraha

Sahadev Karki

Lahan, April 9:

With the outbreak of kala-azar and diarrhoea epidemics with the onset of summer, hospitals in Siraha, including the Siraha District Hospital (SDH) and Lahan hospital, are finding it difficult to accommodate the swelling number of patients hit by the diseases. With all the beds, 27 in total, being occupied, the SDH stated it was forced to accommodate the patients on the floor. Most of the patients are from rural areas.

Dr Raj Kumar Chaudhary of SDH expected the number of patients to rise in days to come. He said diarrhoea patients had started flowing in since last week and was increasing. Meanwhile, Lahan hospital has informed it had admitted 10 kala-azar patients. Dr Pashupati Chaudhary of Lahan hospital said the kala-azar patients were from both the rural and urban areas, but most of them were children from the backward communities. Three to five kala-azar patients were arriving at the hospital daily on an average.