The government has cancelled the Eid-ul-Azha holidays of all doctors and concerned Health Ministry officials until further notice in order to tackle the ongoing dengue outbreak across the country.
Acting Secretary (coordination and reforms) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the Cabinet Division made the announcement at a media briefing at the secretariat on Tuesday.
“The doctors who are in training will be brought back to their stations. The hospitals will be made sufficiently equipped for better treatment of dengue," he said.
“Other government officials have also been strongly discouraged not to go on Eid holidays [this time],” he added.
Government officials were also ordered to clean their workplaces and houses to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, Mujibur said. “Letters will be sent to government officers and staff in this regard.”
Although the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) says only eight people have so far died from the disease, the unofficial tally of reported deaths stood over 40 until Tuesday evening.
Between January 1 and July 30, at least 15,369 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals across the country, according to DGHS.
Mujibur further said that the Education Ministry is set to issue a gazette notification soon to form scout teams in different areas to work on dengue and rumour prevention.
He also said that the Education Ministry has cancelled holidays for all teachers and employees.
Officials concerned were also directed to use effective insecticides to exterminate Aedes mosquitoes responsible for dengue.
Divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners were instructed to prevent rumour and dengue.