The surge of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh in late-2017 led to a sudden medical emergency, but it has now turned into a protracted crisis. The healthcare community in the refugee camps is adapting by focusing more attention on chronic conditions. Dave Grunebaum has the story.

Rahim Ullah, a Rohingya refugee, is getting a medical exam.

He's 62-year-old and a diabetic.

RAHIM ULLAH ROHINGYA REFUGEE "When I suffer from my diabetes, I feel my lips are drying and feel thirsty as well as pain across my whole body. I become restless and cannot sleep."

He's being treated at this hospital run by international humanitarian aid group Doctors Without Borders. It's one of about 180 medical centers that have opened since late 2017 to take care of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to southern Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar because of a military crackdown.

The refugees now live in overcrowded camps and the poor living conditions contribute to many health problems.

DR. KHALID ELTAHIR WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION "The poor living conditions in the camps are the leading cause of many multiple illnesses including diarrhea diseases, skin diseases, respiratory infections."

Toilets shared by many families can become filthy. There are times when clean water is scarce in sections of the camps, making it difficult for some refugees to find a place to even wash their hands.

DAVE GRUNEBAUM COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH "When this crisis started more than a year-and-a-half ago, there was an immediate need for emergency care to take care of refugees with wounds from bullets and knives. There were outbreaks of measles and diphtheria that needed to be contained. But as things have stabilized and this has turned into a prolonged crisis, medical teams are scaling up resources to take care of the refugees' long-term health care needs."

Medical teams say there's a lot of demand to help refugees with chronic issues including diabetes, high blood pressure and constant pain.

JEAN-CLEMENT ISHIMWE DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS "We assume that in the coming future there will be a big need in providing care to respond to these chronic conditions that people are living with."

Anu Wara, a diabetic, says the refugees depend on the care they get at these medical centers in the camps.

ANU WARA ROHINGYA REFUGEE "It's important because we don't need to spend money here. We get free treatment and we get good treatment."

The medical teams work under tough conditions. The examination rooms in this outpatient center are small and separated not by walls but by tarps. While Rahim Ullah is being examined, you can hear a patient in a nearby room shouting in pain.

Nonetheless, the doctors, nurses and medical assistants will keep at it because so many refugees are depending on them.

Dave Grunebaum, CGTN, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.