Dengue spreading faster nationwide

The number of dengue infected patients in different districts is increasing alarmingly, indicating that the disease is quickly spreading across the country.

Over 1,250 dengue patients have been identified in Chattogram, Feni, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, Narsingdi, Nilphamari, Tangail, Barishal, Jhenaidah, Khulna, Pabna and Bogura.

Most of the patients had been to Dhaka before they were diagnosed with dengue, health officials said.

In Feni, officials have so far diagnosed 147 patients. Only four of them had not travelled to Dhaka recently, said Civil Surgeon Hayutuzzaman. 

At Khulna Medical College Hospital, Registrar Partho Protim Debnath said dengue patients were increasing by the day. “We are struggling to accommodate them. We also need more dengue detection kits.”

With a few exceptions, most government hospitals in the districts can detect and treat dengue patients.

But in Barishal city, neither the state-run Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital nor any private clinics has received any dengue virus detection kit.

The Mymensingh Medical College Hospital and M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital in Dinajpur have started round-the-clock dengue diagnosis service.

Health officials in Mymensingh said they had supplied NS1 kits, needed for dengue diagnosis, to 11 upazila health complexes in the district.

Officials at most government hospitals in metropolitan cities claimed that they were equipped to treat dengue patients.

Meanwhile, health rights activists in Chattogram alleged that many private clinics were charging their people exorbitant sums for diagnosis.

Our correspondents from Chattogram, Feni, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, Narsingdi, Nilphamari, Barishal, Jhenidah, Khulna, Pabna and Bogura contributed to the story.