1,189 new dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hrs; official death toll 52

A child died of dengue in Rangpur while 1,189 new patients were hospitalised with the disease across the country in 24 hours till Thursday morning, reports UNB.

In Rangpur, 12-year-old Manisha Akter, daughter of Makbul Hossain of Dinajpur district, died of dengue at the Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in the morning.

Dr Sultan Ahmed, acting director of RMCH, said Manisha was admitted to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital on August 26.  Doctors there referred her on to RMCH as her condition worsened.

Makbul took his daughter to RMCH the same day. “She was being treated at the Intensive Care Unit where she breathed her last around 4am on Thursday,” said Dr Ahmed.

However the latest daily update from the Directorate General of Health Services revealed the epidemic was continuing to stabilize, with some 1,189 new patients hospitalised across the country in the span of 24hrs from 8am on Wednesday to 8am on Thursday.

The update signed off by Dr Ayesha Akhtar, assistant director of the Health Emergency Operation Centre & Control Room at the Department of Health, also said some 68,410 patients have been hospitalised with the disease since January 1. Of them, 63,200 were discharged after recovery.

Currently, 5,030 people are receiving treatment for dengue in different hospitals and clinics, according to the same update. Some 2,785 of these patients are in Dhaka, and 2,245 outside.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has received complaints of 180 deaths till now from dengue. Having reviewed 88 of these cases, IEDCR has so far confirmed 52 of these deaths occurred from dengue, and that stands as the official death toll.