Five more die, 1,239 admitted

Deaths from dengue continued, as five more people died from the mosquito-borne fever on Thursday, taking the total casualties to 93.

At the same time, record 1,239 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals across the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Of the total hospitalisation, 756 people were admitted in Dhaka, while the rest were admitted in other areas. A total of 4,069 people were being treated in hospitals across the country. Of them, 2,708 were from Dhaka.

A total of 17,382 dengue patients have taken treatment in various public and private hospitals since January till date. Of them, 11,757 were from Dhaka, said the DGHS.

Of the total admitted patients, 13,220 made recovery and returned home, and of them, 8,975 were from Dhaka.

Meanwhile, the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) said the health minister and the mayors of two Dhaka city corporations should resign for failing to control the dengue situation in the country.

Amid growing number of dengue cases and casualties, the DAB demanded to take necessary measures to control Aedes mosquito and provide medical services to affected patients by declaring the dengue situation as a national disaster.

They made the call in a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Thursday.

Meanwhile a report by bdnews24.com adds: The Directorate General of Health Services has designated the 800-bed DNCC Hospital in Mohakhali as a clinic for the treatment of dengue patients.

The announcement was part of several measures announced by the DGHS on Thursday to control the soaring caseload of the mosquito-borne disease.

Dengue patients are already being admitted to the hospital and 42 were occupying beds there as of Thursday afternoon, said the hospital's director Col AKM Johirul Hossain Khan.

"We were admitting dengue patients before this, but we have started doing it officially now," he said.

"As dengue patients are admitted, we will try to administer the same care they would get at other government hospitals. We have doctors, nurses, and all the necessary logistical elements. We will provide treatment according to the dengue guidelines."

Aside from a COVID corner, the rest of the hospital will focus on admitting and treating dengue patients, Col Johirul said.

"We will convert the beds. At this time the target is for 500 beds to be used for dengue. It may be increased to 800 in the future. The ICU has ventilator support for COVID patients, but if necessary we can shift dengue patients there as well. We have two ICU units and will increase the number if necessary."

The DNCC Dedicated COVID Hospital in Mohakhali was launched in 2020 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. It had an isolation centre of 1,054 beds. It has 212 ICU beds as well.

It was the hospital caring for the largest number of COVID patients at one time. In April 2021, it was converted to a 500-bed hospital by the DNCC.

Last year, as dengue cases rose, it was opened to dengue patients. The total number of hospitalisations from dengue this year stand at 16,143, according to the latest data. The death toll has hit 88.

Another report by UNB adds: Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on Thursday opened a central control room to check dengue disease and Aedes mosquito under its area.

DSCC Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh inaugurated the control room at Shitalakshya Hall of the Nagar Bhaban.

He said that the control room will remain open for the next three months so that the activities of dengue control effort can be monitored.

Though there was a schedule of opening it on the first day of Bengali month Sharvan, two days ago it was opened due to holiday on that day, he said.

This year the decision to keep the control room open for three months was taken, Taposh said.

Underscoring the need for public awareness to check the dengue menace, the mayor said 1, 040 activists have been working following the guidelines of the Directorate General of the Health Services (DGHS) at the field level under supervision of their councillors in 75 wards.

He said that they centrally monitored the activities on Facebook live and got benefits from the programme over the past two years.

Primarily they collect information about the dengue patients from the DGHS and conduct special drives to destroy the breeding spots of the Aedes mosquito surrounding 40 yards of the houses of dengue patients, the mayor said.

He urged the city dwellers under the DSCC to inform them about the breeding spots of the dengue or larvae following the number-01709-900888.

Also, to inform through messenger of their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/officialpage.dscc?mibextid=ZbWKwL) was requested, he added.

DSCC Chief Executive Officer Md Mizanur Rahman and Chief Health Officer Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir, among others, were present at the opening ceremony.

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