Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain on Tuesday urged private hospitals across the country to provide up to 80 percent discounts on diagnostic tests for dengue patients to reduce their treatment costs during the mosquito-borne disease season.
"We want private hospitals to offer up to an 80 percent discount on various tests for dengue patients. Discussions are also underway with the concerned authorities regarding waiving doctors' consultation fees and extending other forms of support," he told journalists after a meeting on dengue prevention, treatment and clinical guidelines at the Health Ministry conference room at the Secretariat in the capital on Tuesday afternoon.
Sakhawat Hossain said the government had already discussed the issue with private hospital authorities as part of efforts to make dengue treatment more
affordable.
"If a patient's diagnostic tests cost Taka 10,000, a discount of up to Taka 8,000 is being considered," he said, adding that treatment for complicated cases, including hemorrhagic dengue, would be determined according to physicians' recommendations.
Sakhawat said all private hospitals would be asked to keep at least 10 percent of their beds vacant for dengue patients. Patients would only have to bear the cost of medicines and food while doctors' consultation fees for dengue treatment should be fully waived.
Highlighting the government's early preparedness, the minister said initiatives were being taken to lower treatment costs through discounted diagnostic services and to stop the use of medicines that could increase health risks for dengue patients.
He said the government had launched advance planning for mosquito control and healthcare management before the onset of the dengue season, drawing lessons from previous public health challenges.
The minister noted that although experts had repeatedly stressed the need for regular "death reviews" of dengue-related fatalities over the past several
years, such analyses had not been conducted to the desired extent.
"We will enhance capacity and undertake initiatives to ensure accurate and regular analysis of dengue-related deaths," he said.
Sakhawat said regular virtual meetings were being held with divisional commissioners, divisional directors, city corporations and district administrations across the country. Coordination meetings would also be organised at the upazila level through civil surgeons.
Professional organisations had already begun training programmes for physicians at district and upazila levels to strengthen dengue management, he
added.
Calling upon private hospitals to remain prepared, the minister said they must maintain adequate stocks of saline and other essential medical supplies
during the dengue season.
He said every hospital had been asked to submit information within the next three days regarding their total bed capacity, the number of beds allocated
for dengue patients and the volume of saline stocks available.
Replying to a question about the effectiveness of insecticides used in mosquito control, the minister said a separate meeting had been held on the issue and laboratory tests confirmed the effectiveness of the insecticides currently in use.
To strengthen public awareness against dengue, he announced a nationwide special campaign beginning next Saturday.
As part of the programme, awareness rallies will be held simultaneously in Dhaka North and South City Corporations as well as in all divisions and
districts across the country.
The campaign will also include public announcements, awareness drives, courtyard meetings, community gatherings and cultural programmes aimed at
increasing public participation in dengue prevention efforts.
