Surging dengue: another dies, 2428 more get infected afresh

A garment worker died of dengue in Dhaka while 2,428 newly infected people were admitted to different hospitals across the country in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, reports UNB.

The deceased was identified as Awlad Hossain, 32, son of Tofazzal Hossain of Paschim Bazi Kasba in Munshiganj Sadar upazila.

Awlad had been suffering from dengue for the last five days. He died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 4:20am, said DMCH Assistant Director Dr Md Nasir Uddin.

With this, 18 dengue patients have so far died at the DMCH, he added.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 1275 of the new dengue cases were reported from the capital with five suffering from dengue hemorrhagic.

Since its beginning this year, 32,340 people were hospitalised across the country with dengue, according to government data.

At least 8,707 patients, including children, are currently undergoing treatment at hospitals while the rest were discharged after treatment. In Dhaka, 5,389 dengue patients are currently hospitalised.

Since January, 23 dengue patients died, all in the capital, the DGHS said, although the unofficial estimates suggest the death toll is much higher.

Meanwhile, the government has allocated Tk 51.5 crore to help the city corporations and municipalities fight mosquitoes.

Of the amount, the two Dhaka city corporations were given Tk 7.5 crore each while Tk 1 crore each was allocated for Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong city corporations.

The other city corporations received Tk 50 lakh each while Tk 30 crore was allocated for all the municipalities.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader asked the authorities concerned to refrain from spraying ineffective mosquito medicines.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital, has been at the centre of the dengue outbreak.

UNB correspondents from different districts said new dengue cases were being reported every day.

In Khagrachhari, a shortage of dengue detection kits at hospitals in eight upazilas of the district is forcing people to throng the Sadar Hospital which has already been overwhelmed by a large number of patients.

A total of 40 people, suffering from dengue, were admitted to the Sadar Hospital in the last 11 days. Twelve of them returned home after receiving treatment while 25 others are being treated at the hospital while another patient, Ajay Saha, was shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

In Jhenidah, nine new dengue patients were admitted, in the last 24 hours, to Sadar Hospital where currently 29 people are taking treatment for dengue, said Dr Ayub Ali, superintendent of the hospital.

In Sylhet, 21 more dengue patents were taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. Of those admitted, 14 returned home after treatment and currently 52 people, including women and children, are taking treatment for dengue, said the hospital sources.

In Natore, six new dengue patients were admitted to Sadar Hospital. A total of 13 people, including a pregnant woman, were treated in hospital and all of them got infected in Dhaka.

In Bhola, 59 people have so far been infected with dengue, including 11 new cases in 24 hours till Wednesday, said Civil Surgeon Dr Rathindranath Majumdar.

He said currently, 19 people remained at different hospitals in the district.

In Cumalla, a total of 120 people are currently receiving treatment in different hospitals and of them, 31 were admitted in the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning.

Civil Surgeon Dr Mujibur Rahman said 209 more people returned home after taking treatment in the district.

In Bagerhat, 11 people were found to be newly infected with dengue and they were taken to Sadar Hospital.

With this, a total of 35 people were hospitalised since July 27 in the district.

In Khulna, 158 people were infected with dengue afresh in the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning, said the local DGHS office.

Currently, 260 dengue patients are hospitalised while three people have so far died of dengue in the district.

In Pirojpur, 14 more people were taken to different hospitals with dengue, according to the control room at the local DGHS office.

With this, 56 dengue cases were reported in the district in the last one week.