Five children died, dozens hospitalized for diarrhoea

16 March 2015 — At least 69 children infected with diarrhoea have been admitted to the Hakha General Hospital in this month only, according to the hospital on Saturday.

A hospital staff member said that they were receiving an increasing number of children having gastroenteritis mostly caused by a virus called ‘Rotavirus’.

Three children under the age of one died from the infection in Surngen village, Thantlang Township last week, and the deaths of two children were recorded in Hakha in February and March this year, according to the State Health Department.

The infection spreads easily mainly because of lack of public awareness and health education on the issue, and patient’s conditions can get worse because of no medical facilities or equipment as well as skills in villages, thus leading to death, the department said.

Inadequate availability of water has also been ascribed to one of the factors that have caused the disease.#