Syed Shemul Parvez :
Dengue patients are increasing at an alarming rate in the city. As result, most of the dwellers are in a panic.
According to the Health Department statistics, the number of dengue patients admitted to hospitals in the country from January 1 to September 12 this year is 13,875. Of them, 12,561 returned home after treatment.
Of the total admitted patients, about 54 have already died. Of them, 12 died in July, 34 in August and eight in last 12 days of this month.
In the last 24 hours, 321 more people were admitted to different hospitals across the country due to dengue fever. Of them, 246 are in the capital city and 75 outside Dhaka.
The number of dengue patients is increasing in different areas of old Dhaka. Jatrabari, Dolairpar, Shanir Akhra, Jurain and Muradpur have become dengue hotspots.
According to a local councillor, eight people have already died of dengue in Jurain area since last August.
It is known that this area is relatively low and Aedes mosquitoes are born in different places due to accumulation of rain water. As a result, the mosquito eradication system is not working here properly, locals said.
Mosquito control workers in that ward said, “We are trying our best, but the area is low and water is accumulated in many places as many people have abandoned their houses and the owners cannot be found.
Mir Hossain Meeru, Councilor, Ward 53, South City Corporation, said, “We are trying our level best to bring dengue under control. “We are also spraying medicine twice a day. But people are not being aware.”
Especially, because of the low area, water accumulates in the housesw for a long time. If mosquitoes are born there, we have nothing to do, he added.
Entomologist Professor Kabirul Bashar said that most of the ground floors in Jurain area are two-to-three feet below the street level. Due to the rainy season, water has accumulated on the ground floor and more Aedes mosquitoes are breeding in these places. This is the main problem of Jurain.
The inhabitants of Jurain may not realize that the Aedes mosquito is born in their own house, he added.
