DENGUE MENACE Hospitals overflow with patients
With the dengue menace rapidly growing in the capital for quite some time and across the country now, the number of patients with the disease hospitalised so far this year has already doubled the last year’s figure, hitting 21,235 as of Friday.
The hospitals in the capital are struggling to tackle the flow of dengue patients. Most of the hospitals opened separate dengue wards but many facilities are referring dengue cases to other hospitals as they are already overloaded with such patients.
The hospitals outside the capital, especially the private ones, seriously lack in preparation to deal with dengue cases.
The situation is feared to worsen in the coming days as a large number of people suspected to be carrying dengue virus would go to their villages in the Eid festival.
Besides, the peak time for the infection, September and October, is still to come.
Friday’s report of the health emergency and operation centre under the national Health Services revealed that at least 1,648 new dengue patients were hospitalised in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am Friday.
Among the new cases, 992 were hospitalised in the capital and 691 in different districts around the country.
On Friday, at least 6,582 patients with the disease were under treatment at many hospitals across the country, including 4,613 at different facilities in the capital and 1969 in districts.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday witnessed, as usual, a high number of dengue cases as 806 people with the infection were taking treatment at the hospital on the day.
As to other hospitals in the capital, 308 dengue patients were receiving medical care at Mitford Hospital, 348 at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, 337 at Mugda Medical College Hospital, 309 at Kurmitola General Hospital, 209 at Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital, 145 at Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital, 140 at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital, 139 at Dhaka Shishu Hospital and 100 at Combined Military Hospital.
Division-wise, at least 327 dengue patients were under treatment at hospitals in Dhaka division (excluding the capital), 355 in Chattogram division, 364 in Khulna division, 246 in Rajshahi division, 163 in Ranpur division, 185 in Barishal division, 245 in Mymensingh division and 84 in Sylhet division.
The number of dengue cases hospitalised last year was 10,148, which was highest since its detection in 2000 before this year’s phenomenal spread of the scourge that has already broken all the records in Bangladesh.
Since July, at least 19,048 dengue patients were hospitalised while 3,405 in the last two days of August.
The actual figure of dengue infections, however, could not be known as the Health Services only keeps records received from 47 hospitals in Dhaka including 12 government and 35 private ones.
The Health Services’ records said that 14 people died of dengue so far, but the unofficial figure hit 58 reportedly, with two people dying of dengue in Faridpur and Kishoreganj on Thursday afternoon.
Health experts are of the opinion that the actual figures of infection and death are far more as the figures calculated by the Health Services were part of the actual figures.
‘The number of dengue patients provided by the government is just a tip of the iceberg,’ said Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research’s former chief scientist Mustaq Hossain.
As the dengue menace has spread across the country, a group of health rights activists and doctors on Friday said that the situation might turn worse during Eid-ul-Azha when people would go to their village homes from Dhaka.
Also on Friday, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader at a dengue awareness programme in front of the party office said that the aedes mosquito menace had become frightening and spread all over the country.
He called upon the people to keep patience, saying that the government did not lack in commitment towards getting rid of the situation.
‘This is a true picture which cannot deny,’ he said referring to the dengue situation, adding that the government took the matter seriously, which was important.
Dhaka North City mayor Md Atiqul Islam the same day said that samples of insecticides to eliminate aedes mosquitoes would arrive from abroad in a day or two.
‘People are panicked as hundreds of dengue cases continue to be reported from across the country every day. Dhaka, the capital, is the epicentre of the disease,’ he said.
His comment came amid heavy criticism over the two city corporations’ failure to control mosquitoes responsible for dengue fever.
‘We’ll purchase insecticides after testing the samples,’ he said at the inauguration of an anti-mosquito drive and awareness raising programme in the city’s Uttara area.
He also said that the DNCC would now be able to purchase insecticides but the government would ensure the standard. The High Court on Thursday directed the two Dhaka city corporations for importing effective insecticides to eliminate mosquitoes in the capital.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
