Noman Mosharef :
With the lingering monsoon, the number of dengue patients fluctuated in the last couple of days as the mosquito-borne disease is yet to be eased.
The country is experiencing an unusually high number of dengue cases for this time of year with the onset of the rainy season.
Health experts attributed incessant rain, improper preventive measures by the authorities and lack of awareness among the people to the sudden rise in dengue cases.
There has been an increase in dengue cases reported in the past week and it fell significantly on the first day of this week.
The number of dengue patients reached 1,929 on Thursday and it came down to 1,719 on Friday.
The number of dengue patients further came down to 1,460 on Saturday and as many as 1,706 dengue patients have been admitted to different hospitals across Bangladesh in the last 24 hours on Sunday, according to Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room at Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the latest figure, a total of 53,182 people have been affected by dengue so far in 2019 since January 1.
The DGHS confirmed 40 deaths due to dengue across Bangladesh from January 1 till August 18 though the unofficial death toll stands at more than 100.Of the newly hospitalized patients, the number was 734 in Dhaka city in the last 24 hours ending at 8am on Sunday, whereas it was 972 in all eight divisions (other than Dhaka city), according to the latest DGHS data.
The total number of admitted patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals across the country is 7,168, it said.
As many as 3,668 patients are currently receiving treatment in 41 government and private hospitals in the capital, whereas a total of 3,500 people are undergoing treatment outside the capital, the release said.
Among those admitted, a total of 45,974 have been released from their respective hospitals and clinics after treatment.
A college student died of dengue at Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib General Hospital in Sirajganj on Saturday night.
The deceased was identified as Mehdi Hasan Mim Talukder, 17, a Class-XI student of Govt Hajee Korop Ali Memorial Degree College and son of Aminul Islam Monnu Talukder of Haluakandi village in Kamarkhand upazila.
Dr Faridul Islam, resident medical officer of the hospital, said Mehdi was admitted to the hospital with dengue fever on August 14 and he died around 8pm.
Besides, a transport worker died of dengue at a city hospital in early hours on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Nazim Uddin, who worked for Himachal Paribahan.
Nazim’s uncle, Shahid Uddin, said that Nazim had fever for several days. He came his village home at Ganipur in Chowmuhani with fever on Saturday and told his mother about his illness.
Later, he was admitted to a local private hospital and diagnosed with dengue.
As his condition deteriorated, he was admitted to Dhaka’s Universal Hospital on Saturday night for better treatment. Later, he was taken to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on critical condition where he died at around 5am.
