Help desks at all hospitals to tackle Chikungunya

Health minister for setting up help desks at all hospitals

Chikungunya outbreak only in Dhakacity: State minister

Health and Family Welfare Ministry today directed all public hospitals and medical colleges across the country to open help desks to effectively tackle the already wide-spread Chikungunya menace, transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes.

Minister Mohammad Nasim made the directive while Director General of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad conveyed the message to all the hospitals and medical colleges, said a press release of the ministry.

READ MORE: 21 areas in Dhaka city most risky for Chikungunya: report

The release said necessary initiatives have also been taken to set up a joint pain clinic at every hospital to mitigate pains of Chikungunya patients. From the clinics, patients would be given physiotherapy or medicine if patients need, it said.

A control room on public health emergency operation centre [chikungunya disease control room] was opened on July 3 at Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). A working group has also been framed to work for 24 hours under the IEDCR, said the release.

READ MORE: Things you need to know about Chikungunya

A hotline for answering people and doctors on chikungunya has been set up too. Hotline numbers are: 01937110011 and 01937000011.

Chikungunya outbreak only in Dhaka city: State minister

Meanwhile, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque claimed chikungunya has not spread in an epidemic form in the country. He said the disease is limited in Dhaka city.

"People outside Dhaka are not infected by Chikungunya disease till now..... So, it has not reached epidemic proportions," he said at a press conference at the ministry today.

Zahid claimed they took adequate measures to create mass awareness to prevent Chikungunya. He said doctors have been given training to this end.

He said city corporations should gear up their activities to destroy aedes mosquitoes to check outbreak of the disease in Dhaka city.