More than 200 children in Minbya Twsp recover from diarrhoea 

By DMG 16 Jun 2021

DMG Newsroom
16 June 2021, Minbya 

More than 200 children from Pauk Taw (Muslim) village in Minbya Township, Arakan State, have recovered from diarrhoea following an outbreak there, according to the Minbya Township Public Health Department. 

They were provided medical treatment at Pan Myaung and Myaung Bwe cottage hospitals, and are now back at their homes, said Pauk Taw village head U Saif Dulaman. 

“All of them have recovered from suffering diarrhoea. They suffered from the disease due to hot weather and contaminated water. The number of cases has now decreased to five a day … They recover when they drink rehydration salt,” he said. 

The Public Health Department and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have provided a sheet of pills, seven packets of rehydration salt and soap for each family in the village, he added.

Nine children up to five years old from the village were killed due to diarrhoea, residents said. 

“All [other] children have recovered from diarrhoea. If they suffer from the disease now, they will not die as in summer. It was dirty in summer and there were many flies. In the rainy season, their environment is cleaner,” said Minbya Township Medical Superintendent Dr. Nay Win Tun. 

Pauk Taw (Muslim) village has a total population of about 4,000 people from more than 680 households, but only one of three local drinking ponds contains water that is potable.