54pc dengue patients die in shock syndrome, 12 more deaths

Infection rate stable in Dhaka, rises slightly outside

FE REPORT | August 03, 2023 00:00:00

A mother desperately tries to alleviate her son's suffering from dengue fever by pouring water on his head as he lies on the hospital floor for lack of beds at Mugda Medical College Hospital in Dhaka on Wednesday. The hospital is getting inundated with an influx of dengue patients amid outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease. — FE photo by Shafiqul Alam

More than half of dengue patients who died had dengue-shock syndrome resulting in plasma leakage, according to an official analysis on Wednesday.

Furthermore, most of the dengue patients died within 1-2 days of hospitalization, said Prof. Md. Shahadat Hossain, a director of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

"54.41 per cent died of shock syndrome and they had plasma leakage. Besides, due to shock syndrome, other organs of their body were also affected," he added

The government on Wednesday reported 12 more deaths from the mosquito-borne dengue fever and all of them were from Dhaka.

With this, the total casualties stood at 273, including 206 from Dhaka, according to the DGHS.

Besides, 2,711 new dengue patients were hospitalized in the last 24 hours ending this Wednesday at 8:00 am throughout the country. Of the total, 1,130 were from Dhaka.

Although the rate of dengue infection remains stable in Dhaka it keeps rising outside the capital, according to the DGHS.

Even in the busiest hospitals for the treatment of dengue patients in the capital, beds designated for dengue patients are now vacant, said Director (MIS) of DGHS Prof Shahadat.

"The rate of dengue cases in Dhaka is fairly stable, but the rate of cases outside Dhaka is increasing. Mugda Medical College Hospital currently has the highest number of 489 dengue patients in the capital. This hospital has a total of 600 beds for patients," he continued.

Dhaka Medical College Hospital has the second highest number of dengue patients (348). Besides, almost all other hospitals in the city have vacant beds.

Meanwhile, the total dengue cases rose to 57,127. Of the total cases, 31,461 were from Dhaka, added DGHS.

A total of 9,325 people were being treated across the country in hospitals. Of them, 4,869 were from Dhaka.

Of the total admitted, 47,529 patients made recovery and returned home, and of them, 26,375 were from Dhaka.

Last year, 281 people died due to dengue, the highest in the history of the country.

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