It is encouraging to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urge the mayors of Dhaka to take necessary steps in advance to ensure that dengue does not become a major problem in the upcoming season.
Previously, we have seen city authorities falter when it comes to effectively dealing with the spread of the Aedes mosquito, which has continued to cost scores of lives each year due to a lack of preparation in preventing dengue from spreading amongst the people of this city.
In this regard, the government’s decision to dedicate a hospital and provide training to doctors and nurses are definitive steps in the right direction.
However, considering the population of the city and the number of people affected in the past years, this will not be enough to tackle the issue at hand.
Recent surveys have shown that the mosquito population in the city is slated to increase exponentially in the coming weeks, and complaints around the city regarding the nuisance only attest to the fact.
It seems that, while the government has been doing a good job of ensuring that there are people out there on the streets fogging and spraying, there are not enough of them, as each ward lacks the resources to cover the entire span of the area on a regular basis.
Another issue seems to be the fact that the insecticide and larvaecide being provided are not effective enough in terms of reaching all the breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
These issues need to be resolved moving forward -- otherwise, the impending havoc caused by a rising mosquito population will lead to unnecessary suffering and loss for the citizens of Dhaka city.