Arian, 7, was scalded by hot water on Dec 2 when his mother was taking a bowl to the bathroom to bathe him. Arian was brought to the Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Unit by her mother, Amena Khatun, a teacher of journalism and mass communication of Rajshahi University.
Arian sustained 12 percent burns but since Rajshahi Medical College did not have a burn unit, he was taken to Dhaka.
Amena Khatun, said: “We have to change Arian’s dressing every five days and two more dressings will be needed, which means that Arian has to stay here for another ten days.”
Dhaka Medical College burn unit gets such cases almost regularly and such incidents increase between November and February because during this time, hot water is used in most homes.
Doctors say that every day seven to eight children come to take treatment for burns as such accidents rise during winter.
“To reduce such accidents, we are trying to sensitise the people,” said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, adding: “We need to demonstrate how hot water has to be taken to the bathroom from the kitchen during winter.”
“Instead of bowls, we need to carry water in buckets. We also need to be careful about hot lentils on the stove in winter which can cause accidents,” he added.
“Every year, more than 600,000 people are burnt and of them 30 percent die.”