Dengue continues taking toll on life despite efforts
Dengue continue killing and hospitalising more people every day as measures taken by the government to control aedes mosquitoes, the vector of the viral fever, went ineffective.
On Wednesday, three more people died of dengue in Dhaka, Khulna and Mymensingh as the mosquito-borne viral disease continued taking a toll on life.
At least 1,157 people were hospitalised with dengue across the country in the past 24 hours ending 8:00am Wednesday, according to the Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room of the Health Services.
With these three deaths, at least nine people died of the disease in the last three days after the government on Monday said that it had received reports of 173 suspected dengue deaths sending the death toll to 182.
The control room, however, said on Wednesday that it had received 177 reports of suspected dengue deaths so far.
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This year at least 67,221 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals after the dengue infections saw a phenomenal rise in the number of patients this season in Bangladesh.
The High Court on Wednesday ordered the authorities concerned to spray insecticide extensively and conduct raids across the country to eliminate aedes mosquitoes and tackle the spread of the deadly dengue disease.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Shohrowardi issued the order, setting October 16 for further hearing on the issue.
Referring to similar cases in other countries, the court said if necessary, authorities could declare one or two days of holidays to conduct simultaneous raids to destroy aedes breeding grounds collectively.
While the dengue outbreak initially remained confined to areas in the capital city, as had been the case since the first reported occurrence of dengue in 2000, it started spreading outside Dhaka since the fourth week of July.
The dengue fever spread all over Bangladesh in a week while its severity in outlying areas outweighed its intensity in Dhaka in the subsequent week.
The number of dengue patients hospitalised in the districts continue to be higher than that in the capital since July 8.
In August alone, at least 48,760 people were hospitalised with dengue while at least 16,253 were hospitalised in July.
In the past 24 hours, at least 551 dengue patients were hospitalised in the capital and 606 in other parts of the country.
Currently, 5,222 patients are being treated at different hospitals and clinics.
Of them, 2,882 are receiving treatment in the capital and 2,340 in the districts.
Initially, taking dengue lightly, the government ministers and agencies showed lack of concern in controlling the Aedes mosquitoes.
Several ministers and two mayors of Dhaka told people not to get panicked over dengue while it continued to spread all over the country.
The two Dhaka city corporations were primarily blamed for using ineffective insecticide to control mosquito, but later after High Court order, new chemicals were brought.
City corporations continued anti-mosquito drives and fined house owners when dengue larvae were found in their premises, whereas government offices and hospitals were the places where high presence of dengue larvae and dengue breeding spots was found.
Dhaka North City Corporation on Wednesday said that it found the larvae of aedes mosquitoes in over 1,000 houses and structures under its 36 wards in the last four days since August 25.
‘The larvae of aedes mosquitoes have been found in 1,029 houses and structures after visiting 42,494 under 36 wards in four days since August 25 last,’ said a DNCC media release on Wednesday.
Besides, stagnant waters — considered as the breeding points of aedes mosquitoes — were found in other 21,135 houses and structures there during the period.
Aedes mosquitoes live in and around urban habitats and breed mostly in man-made clean water-filled containers like giveaway cans, pots, cups, flower tubs, coconut shells and tyres in and around the households.
Three died on Wednesday of dengue across the country.
At Dhaka Medical College Hospital, 34-year-old Ariful Islam, died of dengue on Wednesday afternoon.
Ariful, a resident in Jurain area, was admitted with dengue in the morning at DMCH after taking treatment from a private hospital in the capital, said his relative Arafat Hossain.
He died at DMCH around 2:20pm on Wednesday.
His body was handed over to the family after legal formalities, said DMCH police outpost in-charge Bacchu Miah.
In Mymensingh, 34-year-old Hafizul Islam died of dengue on the way to Dhaka after he was referred by Mymensingh Medical College Hospital early Wednesday, reported our Mymensingh correspondent.
His father Yunus Ali said Hafizul recently went home after taking dengue treatment from MMCH.
On Tuesday night, as he suddenly fell ill, he was taken to the MMCH again.
As his condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but Hafizul died on the way to the capital at around 3:45am on Wednesday.
MMCH deputy director Lakshmi Narayan Majumder confirmed that he took treatment at the hospital for dengue.
In Khulna, a dengue patient died at the Khulna Medical College Hospital on Wednesday morning.
The deceased, Shahida Begum, 50, wife of Saidur Rahman of Pirojpur, was hospitalised with dengue fever around 8:45pm on Tuesday, reports United News of Bangladesh.
‘She died around 5:30am,’ said Soirandranath Biswas, resident physician of the hospital.
Six people so far died of dengue at the hospital.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
