Cholera Research Laboratory Memories from Mr. M A Khondaker, Hospital Staff 9/15/66 - 1/31/90

1971 Saving a precious life.  During the wartime many events took place, but one of them was so spectacular that it still haunts me.  Almost all the sections of the Pak-SEATO CRL were closed except our hospital section was functioning with a very small staff during such a critical and uncertain time.  Yet I was working.  One day we received a telephone call from Hemayetpur that a cholera patient was laying near the Hemayetpur bus stand.  I rushed with an ambulance and reached the Amin Bazaar Bridge.  I noticed lots of clotted blood scattered over the bridge.  We slowed down the ambulance and also found 3 to 4 dead bodies floating under the bridge.

I reached Hemayetpur bus stand and, to my utter surprise I found a middle-aged woman lying on an improvised stretcher surrounded by 3 to 4 family members.  She was severely dehydrated with sunken eyes, taking long deep breaths, almost in a pulse-less condition.  A special rice watery smell of stool was coming out from her clothes and body.  These are signs of cholera!  On the same spot, without moving onward, I started I.V. saline in both her arms.  After infusing three liters of saline, she opened her eyes, got back her consciousness, and was talking with her relatives.  Seeing this quite unexpected change in the patient, her family was overwhelmed with joy.  Out of deep pleasure, tears were rolling down across their checks.  Her son held my both hands and was blessing me from the core of his heart.  This very emotional, life-saving incident moved me very much.  I thanked almighty Allah for providing me with such a rare event of discharging duty towards the distressed humanity in such an atmosphere.  Till now this occurrence frequently flashes in my inward eyes when I am in my pensive mood.

Matlab journey becomes desperate trip to save a boy.  One fine morning I started with Dr Shamsa for Matlab.  A speedboat was waiting for us at Boushiaghat to take us to Matlab hospital.  We boarded the speedboat and were rushing towards our destination.  From the riverbank,  we heard loud cries, shouting at us telling that there was an acute patient of diarrhoea.  Then without making further delay, we turned the boat towards the bank.  We placed the patient into our boat, a boy of eight to ten years old, who was severely dehydrated with no pulse.  Unfortunately we had no medical aid or supplies with us to help the patient in this critical junction.  We were quite at a loss for what to do.  After much deliberation in this helpless condition, we mutually agreed only to depend on Allahs mercy.  We decided to recite some verses from the Holy Quran and started blowing on him.  We got quite puzzled and anxious, seeing that the patient was dying in front of us -two medical men - helplessly.  We ceaselessly went on blowing on him.  Dr. Shamsa and I were perspiring vehemently.  In this condition, we reached Matlab Medical Centre with the patient still alive, with the boundless mercy of almighty Allah.  This incident stirred me greatly and counts as on of my most memorable experiences.  Till now this incident frequently flashes in my mind.

Now as a jobless retired person, I pass my leisure in making religious tours to far-flung areas of the country to exchange views and share experience with general masses.  During my stay at home, most of the time I devote to studying religious books.  At times I visit my close friends and relatives.  Thus I pass the retired life.  Thanks to my all colleagues from CRL and ICDDR,B.