Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Dengue fever has caused huge economic burden on patients’ families as well as the health system, making the case for strengthening investment in dengue prevention and international partnership to tackle the disease.
Clinically diagnosed dengue patients were asked how much money they had paid for direct medical costs, such as hospital fees, medications, transportation, consultations and laboratory tests costs.
As per the patients’ statements, the total direct medical cost of a treated hospitalised dengue case was ranging between Tk 10,000 and Tk 20,000 in public hospitals in Dhaka and divisional cities and Tk 100,000 and Tk 150,000 at private hospitals in the capital depending on total days of stay and severity of the disease.
AM Hamim, an eleven months baby, was admitted to Dhaka’s Apollo Hospital with severe dengue. The baby stayed there for five days and doctors treated the baby taking in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for three days after his platelet went down to 20,000.
“I had paid Tk 1.36 lakh as only the hospital bill,” Jashim Uddin Mintoo, father of the baby, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said an additional Tk 20,000 has also been spent for attending the baby at the hospital.
“Before hospital admission, I took my baby twice at two private clinics, which cost me about Tk 6,000,” he added.
Rahim, a rickshaw puller, said, his 10-year old son was admitted to city’s Mugda General Hospital following detection of dengue.
“I had to spend Tk 10,000 as medical expenses and buying foods during my son’s seven days stay at the hospital,” he said.
The burden of dengue is substantial for patients who were admitted to city hospitals from across the country.
The average direct cost of such patients has been estimated at Tk 20,000, which include the transpiration.
Abdul Awal, 32, a dengue patient, who was admitted to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, told The New Nation yesterday that he had to spent a total of Tk 20,000 for treatment during his seven days stay at the hospital.
“I had paid Tk 275 per day as accommodation charge, Tk 5,000 for NSI test and platelet counts, Tk 2,000 for medicine and fooding and Tk 2,000 for transportation,” he said.
Awal said the hospital only provided him intravenous (IV) injection and mosquito net.
“I had to go to a private clinic for platelet count, as the hospital does not have the facility.”
He also spent Tk 2,500 for first day private consultation and dengue tests.
“The treatment cost of a dengue patient was ranging between Tk 5,300 and Tk 6,000 at public hospitals, while it was Tk 60,000 to Tk 150,000 at private hospitals,” according to a recent study conducted by the Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka.
The study showed that the treatment cost of dengue patients totalled at Tk 278 core since January to August, when the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported 51,000 dengue cases.
“The total cost would be doubled if the treatment cost of the non-admitted patients is taken into consideration,” it said.
The study rated private hospitals in two categories (A and B) estimating an average treatment cost at Tk 60,000 to Tk 150,000 for per a dengue patient.
“Dengue fever has left huge economic burden on patients’ families representing diagnosis on the first day to hospital admission and treatment,” Dr Kabirul Basher, a Professor of Zoology Department at Jahangirnagar University, told The New Nation.
“In addition to, the illness of patients and pre-mature deaths caused by dengue can adversely impact the country’s economy through loss of productivity and possible reduction in visits by foreigners and potential investors,” he added.
Dr Basher, an entomologist, further said that the burden of dengue is also substantial in health system in view of rising number of dengue patients, which requires government’s additional budget to care and treat the patients.
“Though the economic burden of dengue is high for households and health system, the authorities are yet to come up with any systematic analysis in this regard. Estimating the actual economic cost and disease burden of dengue illness is relevant to inform policymakers, set priorities in health policy, and implement disease control strategies,” he noted.
Dr Basher also urged the government for making investment on vector control research, dengue prevention and strengthening international partnership to tackle the disease.
Bangladesh is currently facing the worst-ever dengue outbreak and the DGHS reported 71, 097 dengue cases so far, with 57 confirmed deaths by the mosquito-borne disease.
The reported death cases were diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome.
