DHAKA, Nov 10, 2017 (BSS) – A total of 106 medical teams led by Cox’s Bazar Civil Surgeon provided medical services to around 4.50 lakh Rohingyas sheltering in the country’s South-eastern region bordering Myanmar till now.
“We have 32 medical teams under our ministry and 74 more joint teams with our donor agencies to provide primary health care services among the hapless Rohingyas,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim told BSS.
He said in line with the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the health ministry is providing the maximum possible medical services to the refugees “within our limited resources considering it a humanitarian issue”.
Besides, cholera immunization campaign was introduced to protect newly arrived Rohingyas and the local communities from life-threatening diarrheal disease where 650,000 children were administered with vaccines.
Massive motivational campaign also launched to keep their family size smaller alongside providing them with kits containing birth control pills and other contraceptives also to prevent outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
“We have already mobilised several medical teams to create awareness among Rohingyas about sexually transmitted diseases and birth control methods and provided them with contraceptives kits,” Nasim said.
Apart from this, government’s disease monitoring wing Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) distributed measles, polio vaccines and vitamin tablets among them, he added.
Rohingyas after fleeing Myanmar, generally suffer from diarrhoea, acute respiratory throat infection, pneumonia, chronic skin diseases called ‘psoriasis’ and fever due to intake of contaminated food and water, Civil Surgeon Dr M Abdul Salam of Cox’s Bazar told BSS.
Special arrangements were also taken for pregnant women and the people, who have high blood pressures, diabetes and other long-term diseases, he said.
According to the International Organization for Migration, over 8, 20,000 Rohingyas came in country’s south-eastern part till November 4.