Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director (Hospital and Clinic) Dr Habibul Ahsan Talukder has said that there will be no more crisis with saline amid the deteriorating dengue situation in Bangladesh.
He made the remarks on behalf of the DGHS at a virtual press conference on Sunday.
DGHS director said: "We have urgently taken action to import 300,000 bags of saline from India.”
Dr Habibul Ahsan Talukder said: "We have enough NS-1 kits for dengue testing in stock everywhere. The primary need in dengue patient care is IV fluid saline. There was a temporary shortage of saline, so we urgently imported salines from India.
“We have already received 44,000 bags and distributed them to hospitals as needed through the Essential Drugs Company Limited. Currently, we do not have any saline shortages. We are also in the process of importing more saline, awaiting approval," he added.
Regarding the dengue situation, Dr Habibul Ahsan said: "The highest number of dengue cases this year occurred in July, August, and September. In July, there were 43,854 patients with 204 deaths. August saw 71,976 cases with 342 deaths, and in September, there were 60,909 dengue cases with 300 deaths."
He also said: "While there was a dengue outbreak in 2019 with a total of 101,354 cases, the number of dengue cases this year has already exceeded that figure."