Dengue claims 7 more lives

At least seven dengue patients, including two children, died over the last two days in six districts.

With them, the unofficial death toll from the disease is now 144. However, the official figure is 60.

The seven victims are from Dhaka, Barishal, Mymensingh, Khulna, Faridpur, and Jashore.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, 634 new patients were hospitalised across the country in the last 24 hours until 8:00am yesterday. With them, 78,617 dengue patients have so far been admitted to hospitals this year.

In Dhaka, Khadija, daughter of Ismail Hossain in the capital’s Jatrabari, died from the mosquito-borne disease at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday.

Her uncle Ibrahim Hossain said the two-and-a-half-year-old was diagnosed with dengue around four days ago and admitted to Mugda Medical College Hospital.

She was moved to DMCH around 4:00pm yesterday, where she died.

In Barishal, a 14-year-old boy breathed his last at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital yesterday.

Asit Bhushan Das, a physician of the hospital, said Farhad Hossain Jihad, son of Babul Ahmed Hawlader of Char Lakshmipur village in Muladi upazila, died around 1:20pm.

Farhad, a seventh grader, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday night, he said.

In Mymensingh, a woman died at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) on Tuesday morning. The victim, Fatema Akter, 50, was the wife of Nazmul Haque of Kishoreganj’s Hossainpur upazila.

On September 3, Fatema was moved to MMCH from Kishoreganj General Hospital. She had been at the ICU since September 7 as her condition deteriorated, said AB Md Shamsuzzaman, MMCH assistant director.

In Khulna, another woman breathed her last at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) on Tuesday night.

Rahima Begum, 45, was the wife of Abdur Rahim Sheikh of Ataroi village in Satkhira’s Tala upazila.

Rahima was hospitalised on Sunday and died around 11:30pm on Tuesday.

Partha Protim Debnath, assistant registrar of KMCH medicine department, told The Daily Star that Rahima died from dengue shock syndrome.

In Faridpur, Dofader Siddique Matubbar, 55, died from the disease at Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH) early Tuesday.

Siddique, of Shrikishnagar village in Madaripur’s Rajoir upazila, was a member of village police.

Hospital sources said Siddique was taken to the local upazila health complex with fever on Friday. As his condition deteriorated on Monday, he was referred to FMCH where he breathed his last around 1:00am on Tuesday.

FMCH Director Kamda Prasad Saha confirmed the death.

In Jashore, two women died from the disease in Manirampur upazila yesterday, reports UNB.

Jahida Begum, 44, and, Jahanara Begum, 35, were hospitalised with fever on Monday.

Arif Ahmed, medical officer of Jashore General Hospital, said they asked Jahida’s relatives to shift her to Dhaka as her condition worsened. But she could not be moved because of her critical condition. She died around 6:25am.

Abdur Rahim, supervisor of the hospital, said Jahanara breathed her last around 4:00am.

Meanwhile, Local Government Division Minister Tazul Islam yesterday told parliament that Tk 21.50 crore was allocated for 12 city corporations to control mosquito.

He said the government set aside Tk 450 crore for the “City Corporation Development” programme.

Of the amount, Tk 21.50 crore was given for controlling mosquito, the minister said while replying to a query from Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif.

He added that Tk 7.50 crore was allocated each for Dhaka south and north city corporations, Tk 1 crore each for Chattogram, Narayanganj, and Gazipur city corporations, and Tk 50 lakh each for Barishal, Cumilla, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet city corporations.

Our correspondents in Barishal, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Faridpur contributed to this report.