With Bangladesh seeing a sharp rise in dengue cases recently, the government is planning to set up separate hospitals for the treatment for the mosquito-borne disease.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque disclosed the information at an event in Dhaka on Sunday, saying that the authorities had taken the initiative as hospitals are unable to ensure proper treatment to both Covid and dengue patients together.
The minister said: “Dengue cases have increased in the country. Around 1,200 patients have already been admitted to different hospitals. On one hand, we have to treat non-Covid patients. On the other hand, we have Covid patient treatment, tests, vaccines and all that.
“So, we have identified several hospitals to treat dengue patients,” he added.
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The selected hospitals include Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital in Tongi, Lalkuthi Hospital, Railway Hospital, and several others.
Zahid Maleque said the health directorate would inform everyone soon in this connection.
105 cases in 24 hours
The health authorities reported 105 fresh dengue cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
Earlier, another 104 and 85 dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals on Saturday and Friday, respectively.
Across Bangladesh, some 460 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment as of Sunday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The vast majority of them are in Dhaka.
DGHS reports that 454 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital, while just six patients were listed outside of the city.
Some 1,679 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January. Of them, 1,216 people were released after recovery.
Also Read - Dengue on the rise alongside Covid-19
The recent spike in dengue cases has added to the burden on healthcare providers as the country continues to grapple with the devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Drive against dengue
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) have been operating anti-mosquito drives and mobile courts to destroy breeding grounds of Aedes mosquitos in the capital.
DSCC on Sunday charged Tk1.5 lakh fine in an anti-mosquito drive in Dhanmondi area.
DSCC Executive Officer (deputy secretary) and Executive Magistrate Marina Nazneen fined South Bridge Developers Company Limited Tk1 lakh and three other homeowners a total of Tk50,000 during the operation.
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The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020. It marked a dramatic and largely unexplained drop from the previous year, which was the worst year on record for dengue in the country.
Official figures state 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.
Dengue was first detected in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better, but it did become endemic. Fatalities almost fell to zero at one stage, before spiking again in 2018, leading to the horrific crisis the following year.
