Dengue claims five more lives amid ‘improving situation’
Five more people died of dengue in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country over the last 18 hours till 8 pm on Friday, though the overall situation has marked an improvement, UNB reported.
The outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, showed a sign of improvement with 2,002 new patients hospitalised across the country between Thursday and Friday morning, the government said.
The number of new infection is 5 percent lower compared to the previous day when 2,326 people were hospitalised with dengue. The number of cases has been declining since Wednesday.
The government said 29 dengue patients have died since January but unofficial estimates say the death toll is higher.
On Friday, eight-year-old Mehraz Hasan died at Dhaka’s United Hospital around 8:59am. Rifat, 10, died at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the early hours of the day. Shamim from Manikganj’s Ghior upazila was admitted to DMCH on August 5. He died around 3:15pm.
In Barishal, Mujibur Rahman Mollah, 52, died while undergoing treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital around 2am, hours after he was hospitalised.
In Faridpur, housewife Lippi Akhter, 30, wife of Mahabub Khalifa of Muksedpur in Gopalganj, died at the Sadar Hospital in the afternoon, a week after she was admitted to the hospital.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said 8,763 patients are currently being treated for dengue – 5,076 in the capital alone. Since January, 36,668 patients were hospitalised with dengue and 27,876 discharged after recovery.
Dhaka, the densely-populated capital, recorded 947 new dengue cases. It has been at the centre of outbreak of the mosquito-borne viral disease.
Hospitals in the city have been struggling to accommodate the rising number of patients.
Meanwhile, all community clinics in villages will remain open during the Eid-ul-Azha vacation (from August 9 to August 17) to provide health services.
The anti-mosquito campaigns of city corporations and municipalities will also continue, said a PID handout.
UNB correspondents from different districts said new dengue cases were being reported every day.
In Bagerhat, local Health Department recorded four new dengue cases. So far, 43 people were found to be infected with the disease but most of them returned home after recovery.
Presently, nine dengue patients are taking treatment at different hospitals in the district, said Civil Surgeon Dr GKM Samsuzzaman.
In Khulna, 31 new dengue patients were admitted to hospitals on Friday.
So far, 317 dengue cases were reported and 182 among them were discharged after recovery. Currently, 145 people are admitted to different hospitals, said Civil Surgeon Dr SM Abdur Razzaque.
Meanwhile, 116 medical teams have been formed to detect dengue patients and provide treatment in the district.
The government has allocated Tk 10 lakh for Sadar hospital while Tk 2 lakh each for upazila health complexes for purchasing dengue detection kits.
Besides, patients are getting free medical tests and treatment at government hospitals.
In Satkhira, 115 dengue patients have so far been found with 44 remained admitted to different hospitals, said the civil surgeon.
Meanwhile, hospitals in Faridpur have so far treated 525 people for dengue and sent 42 of them to the capital as their condition deteriorated. Currently, 286 patients are being treated at hospitals in the district.
In the last 24 hours till Friday morning, 60 new dengue cases were reported.
