Staff Reporter :
The government on Sunday directed the city’s private hospitals to employ more doctors and nursing staff and increase bed capacity to deal with rising number of dengue patients.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) came up with the directive at an emergency meeting with the authorities of private hospitals with Dr. Prof Abul Kalam, Director General health services, in the chair.
The meeting reviewed the overall dengue situation across the country, including capital Dhaka, and discussed various options to ensure that private hospitals do not refuse to admit dengue patients.
The city hospitals both public and private are already overflowed with dengue-infected patients following a worst dengue fever outbreak this year.
Even, many patients are getting treatment staying at the hospitals veranda and walkways, as no bed is available for patients.
The DGHS also asked the private hospitals to open one-stop centre, keep adequate dengue testing kits and not to charge more than Tk 500 for the NS1 (dengue) test.
Private hospitals, diagnostic centres and clinics were charging Tk 1200 to Tk 2000 for conducting NS1 test.
“An order has been issued for private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres to add more beds, employ more doctors, nurses and paramedic staff as per their requirement. These arrangements should have been made to ensure best possible treatment to dengue patients,” Dr Prof Abul Kalam Azad told The New Nation.
He said the hospital authorities have been asked to comply with the government directives properly. Strict action would be taken against the hospital authorities if they turn away with the direction.
When asked, Prof. Azad said that the government hospitals have already increased facilities to offer treatment to growing number of dengue patient.
“The government is responding to the situation effectively. So, people should not be panicked,” he added.
The DGHS has already taken three-pronged approach focusing on medical care, mosquito control and community awareness for dengue intervention.
