Thakurgaon: The sweeping cold wave has claimed the lives of at least six children in the district over the last one week and affected many more, said acting civil surgeon Dr Shahjahan Newaz.

He said some 500 patients, mostly children, were admitted to Sadar Hospital with cold-related diseases during the period, reports the UNB.

A moderate cold wave with mercury dipping at 5-8 degrees Celsius has been sweeping the district for the past seven days, according to the Met office.

The number of patients, largely children, has started rising with the fall in mercury, forcing the hospital authorities to form two additional medical teams on Saturday to tackle the situation.

Divisional Director Dr Amal Chandra Saha said physicians and nurses have been working round the clock to ensure proper treatment of the patients. ‘The two medical teams will be working till the patients’ growing pressure eases,’ he said. 

Dr Shahjahan said they have only 18 beds in the Child Ward of the hospital where a total of 163 children with different ailments, including diarrhoea, pneumonia and asthma are now being treated.

Among the children, 79 have been suffering from diarrhoea while 36 from pneumonia, he added.

‘We’ve to keep patients on the hospital floors and corridors for lack of beds,’ he added.