Aedes finds safe haven at DMCH

At least three more people died of dengue and 1,572 other were hospitalised across the country as the dengue menace continued unabated.

With the three deaths, at least 118 people died of dengue, though the government’s data put the death toll at 40.

Meanwhile, aedes mosquitoes, the vector of dengue, found a safe haven on the campus of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, country’s biggest public health facility that treated a record number of dengue patients this year.

During an anti-mosquito drive by Dhaka South City Corporation in the hospital premises on Tuesday, aedes larvae were found in the giveaway pots on the hospital compound including in areas of the emergency department, the nursing institute and Fazle Rabbi Hall.

‘It’s really pathetic that the DMCH which meant to treat dengue patients is nurturing aedes mosquitoes,’ said Zunayed Hossain, an  attendant of a patient, who was curiously observing the anti-mosquito action in front of the hospital’s emergency department.

‘When dengue has turned a public threat and there is public outcry everywhere for awareness about destroying the breeding grounds of aedes mosquitoes, the hospital cannot remain such irresponsible,’ he said.

The communicable disease wing of the Directorate General of Health Services in a survey found high presence of larvae in the premises of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Mugda Medical College Hospital.

The survey conducted between July 31 and August 4 found that 60 to 80 per cent giveaway pots on the campuses of these hospitals were found with aedes larvae.

Dhaka South City mayor Sayeed Khokon said that they intensified their anti-mosquito drives to control aedes mosquitoes before the first week of September.

‘The drive at the DMCH was part of the programme,’ he said.

DMCH director Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin said that wastes gathered in the hospital compound since thousands of patients took treatment at the hospital every day.

He said that everyone had to be cautious about cleanliness at the hospital as aedes mosquitoes breed in giveaway pots.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka North City Corporation on Tuesday began a 20-day ‘combing operation’ to destroy aedes mosquitoes.

North city mayor Atiqul Islam said that their 1,600 trained staff would visit every corner of the corporation area during the drive.

The house owner will be fined if aedes larvae are found in any house under his city corporation after 20 days, he said while launching the drive at Dr Fazle Rabbi Park in Dhaka’s Gulshan area.

Celebrity educationalist Abdullah Abu Sayeed inaugurated the drive.

The educationalist urged the city dwellers to be aware of the need to prevent dengue.

‘Everybody should keep their residence clean,’ he said.

Meanwhile, at least two people died of dengue in Shariatpur and Faridpur as the dengue spread to districts.

In Faridpur, Shaheb Ali, 38, of Rajbari, died at Faridpur Medical College Hospital on Tuesday.

Confirming the death, hospital director Dr Kamoda Prasad Saha said that Shaheb was admitted to the hospital on Monday in a critical condition. He died early Tuesday.

In Shariatpur, housewife Suraya Begum of Damudya died of the disease early Tuesday.

Shariatpur civil surgeon Khalilur Rahman told New Age that the woman had taken treatment at a private hospital in the district town and then at another in Dhaka after she was diagnosed with dengue.

She returned home after the treatment but fell sick again on Monday night and was taken to Damuddya Upazila Health Complex. She died on the way to hospital early Tuesday, the civil surgeon said.

In the capital, Fatema from Bandar upazila of Narayanganj and living in Keraniganj died at Mitford Hospital on Monday after being diagnosed with dengue, reports UNB.

DGHS’s Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room said in its dengue report on Tuesday that at least 1,572 dengue patients were hospitalised in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am Tuesday.

Among the patients, 750 were admitted to hospitals in the capital and 822 in districts.

So far this year, at least 56,369 dengue patients were hospitalised across the country.

On Tuesday, at least 6,470 dengue patients were under treatment at different hospitals including 3,413 in the capital and 3,057 in districts.

Dhaka North City Corporation, led by mayor Atikul Islam, conducts an anti-mosquito drive at Gulshan in Dhaka on Tuesday.                       

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net