Staff Reporter :
Another 506 patients were hospitalised with dengue in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Of the new patients, 367 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka and 139 outside it.
A total of 1,874 dengue patients, including 1,427 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
This year’s death toll from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh rose to 55 on Wednesday with another death reported from Chattogram.
Of the total deaths, 27 were reported from Dhaka division, 24 from Chattogram and four from Barishal division.
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease. This year, the directorate has recorded 15,852 dengue cases and 13,923 recoveries so far.
Meanwhile, officials from two of the Dhaka South and North City Corporations have blamed climate change and least public awareness for sharp rise of the viral fever while public health experts found no implementations of their recommendations for controlling the mosquito born disease.
DSCC and DNCC health officials said that late rain and intermittent rains are responsible for growing Aedes mosquitoes which are spreading the dengue disease.
On the otherhand, public health experts have blamed government inaction to implementations of their recommendations in this regard.
They said, World Health Organization (WHO) sent two of their epidemiologists as advisors to the health ministry in 2017 when the dengue outbreak was upsurge in Dhaka.
The WHO officials prepared a 22-page plan titled ‘Mid-Term Plan for Controlling and Preventing Aedes-Borne Dengue and Chikungunya in Bangladesh’.
Public health expert and former Director of government’s disease control wing Professor Dr. Be-Nazir Ahmed said, “None of the recommendations or advices given in this regard by local and foreign experts in the past has been implemented.”
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of World Health Organisation told The New Nation, “Awareness of the people and the actions of the municipal health authorities of keeping drains and canals clean and running can minimize the suffering and casualties from dengue fever.”
The Professor said, “The reasons of the dengue fever are preventable. The health authorities, particularly the municipal authorities are responsible and accountable for surge of the viral fever and it’s consequences.” When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of World Health Organisation told The New Nation, “Awareness of the people and the actions of the municipal health authorities of keeping drains and canals clean and running can minimize the suffering and casualties from dengue fever.”
The Professor said, “The reasons of the dengue fever are preventable. The health authorities, particularly the municipal authorities are responsible and accountable for surge of the viral fever and it’s consequences.”
