~story by Mikey Leung~

Are you down with a terrible case of the “Chitta Shittas?” Then you might want to consider a visit to the new ICDDRB Travellers’ Clinic.

The ground reality is that only the hardiest of tummies manage to escape Bangladesh without experiencing a bout of travellers’ diarrheoa, and for those who live in Bangladesh for long periods, it is a right of passage.

Prevention is of course the best medicine. Try to choose food that is hot and fresh, and never feel ashamed to ask restaurant waiters to re-heat food. Choose well-frequented restaurants by eating at regular meal times (people in Bangladesh tend to take lunch between 1 and 2pm, and dinner from 8 to 10pm). If a restaurant looks busy, you can bet that they’re turning over food quickly, which is always a good sign. Best of all, in Bangladesh you will receive frequent invitations to join for dinner at people’s homes—take advantage of this hospitality and enjoy home-cooked meals which is typically the best food you can eat in Bangladesh.

Nonetheless, travellers should expect to experience some digestive discomfort upon arrival. This could be due to any number of reasons: a change in diet could cause it, as well as exposure to a whole new set of bacteria that your digestive system may not be accustomed to. Some expatriates have complained of persistent digestive problems, resolved only by a hydration, a steady diet and inclusion of more raw ingredients than is typically served at a Bangladeshi meal.

And when you get the bug that just won’t go away, head to the clinic and take their advice.

The clinic also offers a range of other non-poo related services like blood testing, kidney testing, travel vaccinations, cervical smears (ladies, there are expatriate doctors here) and a whole bunch of other stuff that should address all the weird and wonderful tropical diseases you manage to acquire while living in Bangladesh.

The cost is extremely reasonable: US$15 per consultation ($50 for insured people).

If you need to come just ask for “the cholera hospital” to any CNG or taxi driver. ICDDR,B stands for the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. Suffice to say that these guys know their shit.

The clinic’s brochure is available at this link. (PDF, 200 KB).