Maungdaw, Arakan State: Influenza has been spreading in Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships after the recent floods and landslides in north Arakan, said a quack from Maungdaw Township.
Influenza, commonly referred to as flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses. It is a highly infectious respiratory disease.
Most of the patients are children and elderly people including women. Some sick people are being treated by a NGO, Malteser International working in north Arakan. There is no report of deaths. Most of the people go to local quacks, said a local elder.
The government has taken no action, as it does not care about common people’s health. They are busy seeking votes from local people.
The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, sore throat, muscle pain, severe headache, cough, weakness and general discomfort. It can be fatal, particularly for the young and the elderly, said a local quack quoting a MBBS doctor.
It is transmitted through the air by through coughing and sneezing or through contact with contaminated surfaces. As the virus can be checked by soap, frequent washing of the hand reduces risk of infection.
To reduce the transmission of influenza there should be good personal health and hygiene such as not touching your eyes, nose or mouth, frequent washing of hands, covering the nose and mouth, avoiding close contact with sick people, and staying at home if sick. Avoiding spitting is also recommended, said a schoolmaster referring to a MBBS doctor from Buthidaung town.
People with flu are advised by doctors to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco, and if necessary take medicines such as Paracetamol to bring down the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu, said a local businessman.
According to a report by Chris Lewa : North Arakan: an open prison for the Rohingya in Burma stated that the Rohingya are excluded from government employment in health and education and those public services are appallingly neglected in North Arakan. Schools and clinics are mostly attended by Rakhine or Burmese staff who are unable to communicate in the local language and who often treat Rohingyas with contempt. International humanitarian agencies are not allowed to train Muslim health workers, not even auxiliary midwives.
The report also stated that restrictions of movement have a serious impact on access to health and education. Even in emergencies, Rohingyas must apply for travel permission to reach the poorly equipped local hospital. Access to better medical facilities in Sittwe hospital is denied. Referral of critically ill patients is practically impossible. Consequently, patients who can afford it have sought medical treatment in Bangladesh but are sometimes unable to return to their village.
