Health Factors and Medical Emergency Issues of Fishing Communities of Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh

Sickness from sea motion or other causes is a common concern among the people who spend time at sea. The people of Kutubdia Island do not have access to advanced health care locally. Fishers who stay on the sea for a long period of time are susceptible to multiple health problems. The objectives of this research are to explore sickness patterns and medical emergencies that fishers face during their fishing activities. This study was conducted based up on primary data using questionnaire surveys of 300 households. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques are used in this study. The respondents were asked whether they experienced any kind of sickness during their fishing activities at sea. The survey results showed that 62% of the fishers experienced sickness during fishing activities at sea. These included vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, cough, back pain, and fever.