With the rapid seasonal changes, we are currently seeing a sharp uptick in the number of dengue cases. Recently we saw eight people succumbing to the disease in less than 24 hours.
The situation is now looking to take a grim turn as health authorities have suggested preparing more hospitals for dengue treatment.
So far, the DGHS has recorded over 20,00 dengue cases this year. In Dhaka alone, we have seen more than 16,000 cases. When it comes to the number of fatalities, that statistic is high when we look outside of Dhaka, with most people dying three days after hospitalization.
Bangladesh has been dealing with this epidemic for too long. This has become a yearly event where countless people suffer and a good number of people die. Too many people have already lost lives to a problem that has become as routine as the seasons themselves, which is why it is all the more baffling that the administration keeps failing to do much about it.
A few years ago, the government revealed a few innovative new ways to lower the population of the dengue-carrying Aedes mosquito. Whatever happened to such plans?
This is an untenable situation.
Prompt action has to be taken. The authorities need to take emergency action and prepare as many hospitals as they can to deal with the rising number of cases. But we also need to invest in research to make sure we can defeat dengue once and for all through practical methods.
We all have to be pro-active and start thinking how we will tackle this epidemic on a yearly basis, should we fail to eradicate it completely.
