KHULNA, June 24 (UNB): Over 38,000 people in the country were affected with arsenic-related diseases while water of 30 per cent tubewells contaminated with arsenic till 2006, according to a government survey.
The number of patients may rise if the latest results of the division wise surveys are published, said a Health Department workshop here Tuesday.
Arsenic Programme of the Health Ministry and Department held the monitoring and evaluation workshop on "Searching of Arsenicosis Patients and Management".
It also said Water of some 1.44 million tube-wells in 270 upazilas of 62 districts were contaminated with arsenic while 66.0 million tubewells identified as vulnerable.
Dr AKM Mujibur Rahman, NCD and OPHE Programme Officer, presided the workshop, addressed, among others, by Deputy Secretary (Administra-tion) of Health and Family Welfare Mahfuzul Huq, Divisional Deputy Director of Health Department Dr Zebunnesa Khatun and district Civil Surgeon Dr Maksuda Begum. In Bangladesh, arsenic contamination of ground water was first detected in 1993 by the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) at Sama village of Baroghoria union in Sadar Upazila of Chapainawabganj district.
After testing water in different districts, some eight arsenic patients were detected in 1995.
The number rose to 23 in 1996 while 42 in '97 and 60 in 98. And the number stood at 38,412 in 2006.
Some 5,120 arsenicosis patients were detected in Khulna division due to consumption of arsenic contaminated water. District-wise break up of patients are : Khulna - 420, Jessore - 1,537, Bagerhat - 490, Satkhira - 194, Narail - 107, Magura - 174, Jhenidah - 312, Chuadanga - 815, Kushtia - 637 and Meherpur - 373. The workshop was informed that the government has undertaken different arsenic mitigation programmes. Medicines have already been sent to different district and upazila health complexes through CMSD. The government has initiated to take rehabilitation programme for the arsenicosis patients.
