After thousands of people have been infected with dengue in 64 districts, the government has decided to purchase dengue testing equipment.
Dengue patients have been identified in every district of the country.
Between January 1 and July 31, a total of 17,183 dengue patients were identified across the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
DGHS data also showed that around 4,903 dengue patients were hospitalized across Bangladesh on Wednesday with 3,676 in Dhaka alone.
In the 24 hours since Tuesday morning till Wednesday morning, about 1,477 dengue patients were identified in 61 districts. Later in the evening, the DGHS said two more districts, Mymensingh and Rajshahi, had identified dengue patients.
The last district to identify dengue patients was Netrokona. Five patients were hospitalised and were undergoing treatment at Netrokona Modern Sadar Hospital until Wednesday afternoon, said the district’s Civil Surgeon Tazul Islam.
Health Ministry spokesperson Maidul Islam Pradhan told Dhaka Tribune that Health Minister Zahid Maleque, who recently went to Malaysia for an eye checkup, was scheduled to land in Dhaka at midnight.
When asked if the health minister’s trip was cut short due to the widespread criticism on social media about his absence during the dengue crisis, Maidul said the minister was returning because he the checkup was done, and his return had nothing to do with the backlash.
On the dengue front, Bangladesh Bank on Wednesday issued a circular to all banks, asking them to provide financial assistance to dengue patients in need as an act of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The DGHS said 14 dengue patients have died so far around the country. However, the unofficial death toll stood at around 50 on Wednesday evening, two of whom passed away at different hospitals in Dhaka.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Dr Meerjadi Sabrina Flora, director of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said the official government death toll was only 14 because the DGHS vets every case before classifying it as a dengue fataliy.
Dengue test kits on the way
Wednesday afternoon, top DGHS officials said they have requested assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to a DGHS bulletin issued on Saturday, the two parties had already agreed in a July 22 meeting, to procure NS1 kits. The WHO will donate 100,000 test kits.
DGHS efforts at a glance: 2,000 doctors and nurses trained 22,000+ NS1 kits distributed to public hospitals Citywide survey from July 18-27 to monitor and destroy mosquitoes National technical committee formed Free platelet separation at DMCH, NINH, NICVD, and BSMMU |
Accompanying Dr Meerjadi, DGHS (Communicable Disease Control) Line Director Dr Sanya Tahmina said the rising number of dengue patients has led to a shortage of dengue testing equipment at medical facilities nationwide.
She also said the DGHS has placed an order for an additional 50,000 NS1 test kits which are scheduled to arrive next week.
The two officials called upon the authorities concerned to adopt prompt measures to destroy mosquito breeding grounds to prevent the disease from turning into an epidemic.
Dr Sanya said: “The dengue situation may linger till September, because the aedes mosquito lays eggs throughout the rainy season in July and August. Because of the intermittent rains this monsoon, the condition has worsened. Usually a continuous downpour washes away the eggs.”
Authorities caught off-guard?
Dr Sanya also expressed scepticism about meeting the test kit shortage if the dengue situation persisted for another two months.
She said: “Every year we buy 10,000 NS1 kits, but this year we bought 40,000. Dengue struck earlier than expected this year, catching us unprepared.”
The National Guidelines for Clinical Management of Dengue Syndrome 2013 says: “The dengue control program should start preparations and containment measures well ahead of the rainy season.”
It also says that concerned authorities have to clean larval habitats every five days, and in case of an outbreak, a rapid assessment has to be carried out and public health infrastructure strengthened. It also says authorities should promote adequate media coverage to dispel misconceptions.
Former BSMMU pro-VC Prof Rashidi Mahbub told Dhaka Tribune: “The DGHS ought to adhere to its guidelines. However, the people who developed it are no longer involved. Since dengue has spread widely, there must have been a lack of preparation. The instructions to eradicate the mosquito population were not followed.”
Dengue unit at Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute
Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Director Brig Gen Dr AKM Nasir Uddin told the press on Wednesday afternoon: “If the number of dengue patients continues to rise, we will open a dedicated unit at the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute where our doctors will treat them.”
He also said the hospital has enough dengue medicine in stock.
Dr Nasir said: “We are providing free treatment to the ones who are critical, and not admitting the ones who can be cured at home. Most of the dengue patients are children, and we will clear up the temporary Ansar habitat in the old DMCH building for them.”
Inadequate treatment at hospitals outside Dhaka
As dengue patients continue to be admitted throughout the nation, there are many reports of medical facilities taking inadequate measures.
In Rangpur, several hospitals have been charging more than the government-set Tk500 rate for dengue tests. At Rangpur Medical College Hospital, dengue patients share the same ward with regular patients, creating panic. Hospital authorities have only now set up mosquito nets as a preventive measure.
In Gopalganj and Naogaon, there is no way to diagnose dengue at government hospitals and private hospitals say there is a shortage of test kits.
Panic-stricken Manikganj residents are crowding hospitals for tests, overwhelming the staff.
The Sadar Hospital in Rajbari lacks a dedicated dengue cell. Such concerns have been raised in several other districts, including Tangail, Khulna, and Thakurgaon.
A recurring observation of doctors across the nation is that most of the infected patients were admitted after they returned from Dhaka to the districts.
But in Mymensingh, most patients are local residents who have not been to Dhaka recently.
Our correspondents Manoj Saha, Gopalganj; Motiur Rahman, Manikganj; Abdur Rouf Pavel, Naogaon; Kazi Tanvir Mahmud, Rajbari; Liakat Ali Badal, Rangpur; Zakir Mostafiz Milu, Thakurgaon, Hanif Ullah Akash, Netrokona, and Hedait Hossain Molla, Khulna contributed to this report