Hospitals asked to buckle up for dengue treatment

The government has asked all hospitals across the country to be ready before a potential outbreak of dengue and chikungunya this year.

Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen gave instructions at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

Representatives from the two Dhaka city corporations and other stakeholders were present at the meeting.

After the meeting, Dr Samanta Lal told reporters, “If preventive measures are not taken properly, we will not be able to contain the pressure of dengue patients. We will do whatever is required for the better treatment.”

“Besides, we will take measures to make people aware of dengue, and make it clear to them how dengue occurs and spreads,” he added.

Dr Samanta Lal Sen said, “Hospitals have been instructed to be ready to tackle any possible dengue outbreak. At the same time, we are asking the people to go to hospitals immediately if they feel a fever. We see many times that patients come to hospitals quite late…then nothing can be done.”

Speaking at the meeting, Director General of DGHS Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam said that a total of 1,566 people got  infected with dengue from 1 January to 18 March this year. Of them, 527 were infected in Dhaka city, while 1,039 outside Dhaka.

At least 20 people died of dengue during this time, Dr Khurshid Alam said.

At the meeting, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam said last year they had imported five tonnes of Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI) through a contractor at a cost of Tk87 lakh to control dengue, but it could not be used due to a court direction.

“This year, we ourselves are going to import BTI. Experts are giving opinions about the adoption of organic and biological treatment. BTI is the best choice among the biological treatments to control mosquitos. We have already worked on it,” Atiqul stated.