Noman Mosharef :
The number of dengue patients admitted in hospitals this year hit all-time high as the mosquito-borne viral disease has been spreading rapidly across the country.
A total of 59,592 dengue patients have been admitted to the different hospitals across Bangladesh from the beginning of the year to 8am on Thursday.
Among those admitted, a total of 53,398 have been released from their respective hospitals and clinics after treatment.
Between 2000 and 2008, 50,148 people were hospitalised for dengue in Bangladesh. But this in the first 22 days of August alone, a total of 41,131 dengue patients have been hospitalised for the disease.
Experts said the number of dengue cases has already hit record high this year following a worst ever outbreak in the mosquito-borne viral disease. They believe that the true numbers are much higher as many cases remained unreported. “There are four strains of dengue, including the most life-threatening, hemorrhagic dengue. But only patients with severe cases end up in hospitals, from where the government collects data,” according to the experts.
Besides, a total of 1,597 dengue patients have been admitted to different hospitals across Bangladesh in the 24 hours in the 24 hours to 8am on Thursday.
Among them, 761 patients were admitted in the epicentre of the outbreak Dhaka, and 836 in districts outside Dhaka. The number of new infections decreased from 915 to 836, in the district level, in the last 24 hours.
A total of 3,332 patients are currently receiving treatment in different government and private hospitals in Dhaka, whereas a total of 2,815 people are undergoing treatment outside Dhaka, said a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), issued on Thursday.
It said the number of admitted patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals combined is 6,147. A total of 47 dengue patients have died across Bangladesh from January 1 till August 22, according to their own collected data. However, the unofficial death toll is reported to be over 105, so far.
Besides, six more people died of mosquito-borne disease dengue in the capital and across the country from Wednesday to Thursday.
Of the deceased, identifies of two– Gias Uddin, 40, of Chandpur and Monir Hossain, 38, of Barishal–have been confirmed till filing the report and four others remained unknown.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost inspector Bachchu Mia said Gias, a resident of Postogola, got admitted to the hospital with high fever around 11:00pm on Wednesday. “He was later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit where he died around 6:20am,” he said.
The body was handed over to the family members.
Deceased Gias’ elder brother Jahangir said he was a businessman and a father of three children.
In Barishal, a man died of dengue at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in the morning.
Deceased Monir Hossain was from Mehendiganj upazila of the district.
SBMCH director Bakir Hossain said Monir was hospitalised after being diagnosed with dengue on 18 August. He died around 5:00am.
Besides, as many as 300 health workers, including doctors and nurses, have been afflicted with dengue while treating patients hospitalised for the mosquito-borne disease in Dhaka this year. According to a government count, six doctors and 12 nurses are undergoing treatment for the viral fever in different hospitals in the capital.
Kurmitola General Hospital and Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital are currently treating two health professionals each for dengue.
But according to the Directorate General of Health Services, a total of 94 doctors, 130 nurses and 76 hospital staff have undergone treatment for dengue so far this year.
