The treatment of patients in Barishal is being hampered due to shortage of IV saline, thanks to the slow production supply.

The dengue patients are the worst sufferers as saline is the prime need for their treatment.

“Normal saline is very effective for different types of diseases. It is used for uplifting the blood pressure of patients” said Doctor Ataur Rahman, the consultant of Medicine Department of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barishal.

Though the saline is found at one or two pharmacies, the patients and relatives have to count twice to thrice of normal price.

“I have a patient of dengue fever who needed to inject the normal saline following the instructions of the doctors but was unable to buy a single one,” said Jakir Hossain, an attendant of a patient of Seba private medical hospital in Barishal town.

The crisis is found in all the areas of the division as the medicine stores did not get any supply from the manufacturing companies.

“All types of infusion saline supply have acute shortage. Even we don’t get the saline from any manufacturing medicine company for last few weeks though the demand is growing day by day,” said Ziaul Haque, the proprietor of Sattar Medical Hall at Rajapur in Jhalakathi.

Acknowledging the shortage of supply, an area manager of Opso Saline Ltd said seeking unanimity that they were unable to supply the adequate amount of saline considering the demand.