More than 500 people have fallen ill after eating food at a memorial feast in Kalpani Noyapara village under Saghata upazila of Gaibandha, with 115 admitted to Saghata Upazila Health Complex and others receiving treatment at Gaibandha General Hospital and various other places.
Saghata upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Md Iltutmish Akanda confirmed the matter on Friday evening saying 115 people were admitted to Saghata Upazila Health Complex for treatment while others were receiving treatment at Gaibandha General Hospital and various other places.
Jahidul Islam, son of Abdul Bablu Bepari of Kalpani area under Bonarpara union, died while undergoing treatment at Rangpur Hospital at around 11pm on 6 November. A memorial feast was organised in Kalpani Noapara village on Tuesday morning following his death, according to local sources.
Guests began falling ill one after another after eating food at the event. Symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pain appeared initially while the number of affected people gradually increased prompting many to be rushed to different hospitals, locals said.
A victim Ashiq Miah said he experienced diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pain after returning home. He said he had to be admitted to the hospital and believed that the illness was caused by the event’s food.
A local union council member Aftab Ali said he also fell ill after attending the event. He said the arrangement was made for nearly 1,000 people and estimated that 500 to 600 people might have fallen ill, with many being treated in hospitals and others receiving primary care at home.
A local union council chairman Nasirul Alam Swapan called the incident tragic, adding that the organisers should have been more cautious while hosting such a large gathering.
Gaibandha General Hospital’s senior nurse Mahmuda Akhtar said two patients were admitted there. She said their condition was currently good but treatment needed to continue, adding that they suffered from food poisoning.
Saghata upazila health and family planning officer Dr Md Iltutmish Akanda said 115 patients were admitted to the hospital for treatment while many of whom have recovered and returned home.
200 packets of saline were provided for distribution through health workers in the relevant wards, along with all necessary tablets and medicines, said Iltutmish.
He added that, to his knowledge, such a large number of patients had not been admitted together for treatment in the last five years.
