The dead are Alamgir, 14, of Ashurail village in Nasir Nagar uapzila, Md. Fayssl Ahmed, 12 and Md Nabi Hossain, 35, of Gupinath village in Kasba upazila and seven-day-old Sirin, daughter of Bakul Mia of Shahjadpur in Sarail upazila.

Diarrhoea patients are rushing to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital and to all the eight upazila health complex from different villages in the district, sources at Civil Surgeon's office said. Many patients are also taking treatment at private clinics in Brahmanbaria town.

A total of 102 patients came to the Sadar Hosiptal in the last two days, sources there said. Ten to fifteen patients at coming to upazila health complexes in Ashugang, Kosba, Nasirnagar and Akaura upazilas where at least 30 villages have been affected, sources said.

Resident Medical Officer (RMO) at Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital Muhammed Musa said the diarrhoea situation deteriorated abruptly in the last three days.

When contacted, Civil Surgeon Md Ishak Khan said 136 medical teams have been formed to control the situation.

This correspondent during a visit to the Sadar Hospital yesterday saw at least 30 patients on floors and corridors and another ten sharing the five beds in the diarrhoea ward.

Many of the patients alleged that they were getting only oral saline from the hospital. At times, nurses force patients to leave the hospital before cure, they alleged.

They claimed that they bought IV (intra-venus) saline from medicine shops and many left the hospital, failing to get the saline.

Mohmuda Akter, 22, wife, of Raten Mia of Moushair village, Kakoli, 25, alleged that they bought IV saline from medicine shops near the hospital.

Staff Nurse Padma Rani said the hospital authorities supplied only oral saline for patients.

The RMO said there was a stock of only 500 IV saline packets at the hospital. This is too inadequate to the need. He has sent an urgent message to higher authorities for more medicines including IV saline, he said.