Md Joynal Abedin Khan with Abdul Alim :
The number of dengue patients I still on rise alarmingly across the country breaking the past all records in recent days.
At least two dengue patient are being hospitalized every minute in the country, sources claimed.
In the wake of deterioration situation the government has decided to take various steps, including to purchasing dengue testing equipment as early as possible.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported, “The dengue situation may linger till September, because the aedes mosquito lays eggs throughout the rainy season. Because of the intermittent rains this monsoon, the condition has worsened. Usually a continuous downpour washes away the eggs.”According to DGHS, around 2330 patients hospitalized till Thursday while 16049 hospitalized in Dhaka alone since January 1. But 19,513 identified across the country from January 1 to August 1. DGHS data also showed that 14 dengue patients have died so far around the country.
But unofficial reports put the death figure at 54, including 10 in Dhaka Medical College Hospital.Meanwhile, two more persons, including a female Sub-Inspector (SI) of police died of dengue on Wednesday and one Rabiul Islam, who was admitted to Kurmitola General Hospital on July 22 with the fever, was rushed to the DMCH where he died.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque while inaugurating a 100-bed ward for dengue patients in Mitford Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday the government is planning three public hospitals in Dhaka to tackle the dengue situation.
“Pathology testing kits and reagents were being imported for the detection of dengue,” the minister said.
Dr Sanya Tahmina, Communicable Disease Control Line Director, DGHS said, the rising number of dengue patients has led to a shortage of dengue testing equipment at medical facilities nationwide.
She also said the DGHS has placed an order for an additional 50,000 NS1 test kits which are scheduled to arrive by next week.
Besides, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon has said that the authorities concerned are trying their best to control the dengue outbreak by the first week of September.
Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam, who was also present at the programme, said, “We have to work round the year to destroy the sources of aedes mosquitoes, the carrier of dengue disease.”
“We have already distributed 14,000 mosquito nets to the people and also ready to distribute 16,000 nets,” the DNCC mayor said.
