With the rising trend of dengue fever all over Bangladesh, Khulna reported the district’s first death of the season.
The deceased has been identified as 55-year-old Dulia Begum, a resident of the Bagerhat’s Fakirhat upazila.
She died while undergoing treatment at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) on Sunday.
Currently, the hospital has 37 patients undergoing treatment for the viral fever.
KMCH sources said that so far, 164 patients were admitted to the hospital, and among them 128 people recovered.
Among the 37 patients hospitalized, five are from Khulna, and the rest are from different districts.
Dr Anol Roy, assistant registrar of KMCH, said that dengue patients should be kept under mosquito curtains or nets during the day for four-five days.
“As there is no separate ward in this hospital for dengue, the patients are being treated in the medicine ward,” he added.
Dr Zillur Rahman Tarun, medical officer of KMCH Blood Bank, said that this department has a non-stop service institution that is open 24 hours.
“The most valuable blood factors can be found here for free. Besides, many important tests related to blood are done here at the very low cost set by the government. However, we do not have cell separator machines that are needed for dengue patients,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Director of KMCH Dr Md Rabiul Hasan said that the hospital has more than three times the capacity of patients.
“In 2021, we opened a separate ward for dengue patients in the new ICU building, but when the outbreak of Coronavirus took place, we made that into a dedicated Covid-19 hospital,” he added.
Dr Suhas Ranjan Halder, RMO of KMCH said dengue patients are being given proper treatment at the hospital.
“Recovery rate from dengue fever is high in this hospital,” he added.
The gradual increase in dengue infection has created panic among the residents of Dhaka city.
Hospitals are failing to cope with the pressure of dengue patients despite setting up new wards. Patients are dying within just three days of getting admitted to hospitals.
A total of 89 people have died of dengue till October 15 this year.
Doctors of Dhaka Shishu Hospital said that 119 children have been admitted with the disease in the first 12 days of this month. While visiting various hospitals in the city, UNB saw that people were lying on the floors due to a lack of hospital beds.