As per the report of World Health Organisation (WHO), due to lack of awareness among parents and guardians, 173,000 children face fire related accidents every year. To change the situation, emphasis is being given to raise awareness about child security.
Doctors have asked mothers to be careful during cooking.
According to WHO facts, 180,000 people are burnt every year in low income countries and in Bangladesh and Ethiopia, most incidents happen at home.
Coordinator of Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Unit, Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, told Bangla Tribune: “Most children get burnt due to hot water and hot lentils; when the mother is unaware, the child comes near the fire and becomes a victim of accident.”
Accidents also happen when young children are carrying hot water or when children insert fingers in electric sockets. Assistant professor of DMCH’s Burn and Plastic Surgery Department, Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, said: “There has been a rise of burn related accidents from electric appliances.”
It’s difficult to save a child which has more than 20 percent burns since a child has less water reserve, glucose or fat in the body, he added.
Dr. Samanta Lal adds: “I always advise the mothers to be careful during cooking; children should be kept to a safe side when ironing clothes.
In the rural areas, people still cook on earthen stoves and children touch the pans or the bowls without realising that they are hot.
In many cases, using bowls can reduce accidents since pans can easily fall over and create a mishap, he added.