Prof. Abdul Majid Molla: CRL/Malumghat Cholera epidemic

I worked at the Centre for fourteen years with very loving memories. During these years, I have seen many great human beings passing through CRL and later ICDDR,B. Memories of some of them I shall never forget. Their contribution for the advancement of science and above all their kind-heartedness to the people of Bangladesh can never be forgotten .I remember my days with great pleasure and admiration.

I clearly remember Dr. Kendrick Hare and Dr. Ruth Hare. In September 1967 there was an outbreak of cholera in the southern part of Bangladesh. The local missionary hospital at Malumghat, located near Coxs Bazar, was overwhelmed with the rush of cholera patients. The hospital authority (Dr. Vic Olson) contacted our CRL Director, Captain Philips, Dr. Kendrick Hare from the Laboratory and Dr. Jim Taylor who was head of the Clinical Section. They called an emergency meeting and decided to send a large team with all the men and materials from the Centre. We first went by plane to Chittagong but the materials came by road.

In total nearly three dozen CRL personnel were staying all the time at Malumghat hospital. There were shifts but relievers for these teams also had to be arranged. I was one of the personnel selected to work there. Our field operations were so successful that not a single patient died if they had once arrived at the hospital alive.

The epidemic continued for a long time and it was decided that some research should also be done at this field hospital. Dr. Rafiqul Islam and I already had an approved research proposal on oral rehydration (the first ever external project on oral rehydration). So we started the study in Malumghat. The other project that was started was on intestinal flux. Dr. David Sachar and the others were the investigators. This research required that someone continuously does massage of the abdomen. The first patient was a female and it was necessary to find some knowledgeable female person to do this abdominal massage for this lady. No female was available. Finally Dr. Mrs. Ruth Hare agreed to do the massage. The research continued.

One morning we all were attracted to the flux study room because a lady was screaming. We were called in to calm the lady. The reason the lady (female patient) screamed is a very serious one. She was certain that a man was putting his hand onto her abdomen. We all tried to convince the woman and her husband that the person touching her abdomen was not a man but a female doctor. None of the local people would believe us. They said we are all slaves of the American Sahibs. We tried our best but we could not produce any proof to prove that Dr. Ruth Hare was a female. The valuable female patient was taken out of the research study.