THE High Court on Sunday censured the government and the two mayors of Dhaka for their utter failure in controlling spread of dengue disease. Whereas the number of dengue affected patients has been increasing every day. More than 60,000 dengue patients so far have been hospitalised across the country. As many as 1,626 dengue patients were hospitalised in the 24 hours to 8am on Thursday, including 761 in the epicentre of the outbreak Dhaka. The number was 711 and 915 respectively in and outside Dhaka on Wednesday. The government data, however, shows 40 dengue patients have died since January. It’s a worsening situation.
The court observed that the dengue could not turn to be ‘so alarming’, if the government and the mayors had taken timely steps. It was simply ridiculous for the government— dump garbage on clean places and then sweeping the areas for show, it said. Moreover, spraying insecticides on human beings instead of spraying larvicide on clean stagnant water where Aedes mosquito breeds is also mindless act. The Bench also pulled up the government for spraying ineffective pesticides year after year without examining their efficacy. The court said that the supervising officials did not carry out their obligatory duties and they also lacked in skills and patriotic mentality. Moreover, the government and the city corporations were blaming each other for the situation, meaning lack of coordination is high.
The number of dengue patients fell during the Eid vacation as many of them preferred to stay at home. But the number of dengue patients swelled after Eid. Intermittent rains together with excessive humid weather conditions facilitated Aedes mosquito breeding. The government even took no steps to keep its establishments neat and clean so that rain waters could not remain stagnant to facilitate Aedes mosquito breeding.
DNCC and DSCC mayors at first tried to hide their failures calling dengue as a rumour. Health Minister had flown to Malaysia along with his family members leaving hundreds of dengue patients behind. We must say, the dengue situation has turned epidemic due to the failure and negligence of the health minister and the two city mayors.
The court observed that the dengue could not turn to be ‘so alarming’, if the government and the mayors had taken timely steps. It was simply ridiculous for the government— dump garbage on clean places and then sweeping the areas for show, it said. Moreover, spraying insecticides on human beings instead of spraying larvicide on clean stagnant water where Aedes mosquito breeds is also mindless act. The Bench also pulled up the government for spraying ineffective pesticides year after year without examining their efficacy. The court said that the supervising officials did not carry out their obligatory duties and they also lacked in skills and patriotic mentality. Moreover, the government and the city corporations were blaming each other for the situation, meaning lack of coordination is high.
The number of dengue patients fell during the Eid vacation as many of them preferred to stay at home. But the number of dengue patients swelled after Eid. Intermittent rains together with excessive humid weather conditions facilitated Aedes mosquito breeding. The government even took no steps to keep its establishments neat and clean so that rain waters could not remain stagnant to facilitate Aedes mosquito breeding.
DNCC and DSCC mayors at first tried to hide their failures calling dengue as a rumour. Health Minister had flown to Malaysia along with his family members leaving hundreds of dengue patients behind. We must say, the dengue situation has turned epidemic due to the failure and negligence of the health minister and the two city mayors.
