The health and family welfare ministry yesterday directed all medical colleges and public hospitals to open help desks to effectively tackle the already widespread chikungunya disease, transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes.

Health Minister Mohammad Nasim gave the directive and Director General of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad conveyed it to all medical colleges and hospitals, says a press release.

The release adds initiatives have also been taken to set up, if necessary, a joint pain clinic at every hospital to mitigate sufferings of chikungunya patients. From the clinics, patients would be given physiotherapy or medicine, if needed. This service will be given at the medical colleges and hospitals at district and upazila levels, says the release issued by the ministry.

A control room on public health emergency operation centre [chikungunya disease control room] was launched on July 3 at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). A workgroup has also been formed to work 24 hours a day under the IEDCR, informs the release.

A round-the-clock hotline for answering people and doctors on chikungunya has also been set up. The hotline numbers are 01937110011 and 01937000011.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque has meanwhile claimed chikungunya has not spread in an epidemic form and is limited to Dhaka city.

"People outside Dhaka are not infected by chikungunya as of now… So, it has not reached epidemic proportions," he told a press conference at the conference room of the ministry yesterday.

Zahid claims they took adequate measures to create mass awareness to prevent the disease. He added the doctors had been given training to that end.

He further said the city corporations should gear up their activities to destroy aedes mosquitoes to check chikungunya outbreak.

Symptoms of the disease are visible in four to seven days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito. Chikungunya is characterised by an abrupt onset of high fever frequently accompanied by joint pain.

Other common signs and symptoms of the disease include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. The joint pain is often very debilitating, but usually lasts for a few days or may prolong for weeks.

The Dhaka South City Corporation yesterday chalked out elaborate programmes to make people aware of chikungunya. Officials of the DSCC held a views exchange meeting with students of five education institutions to make them aware, said a press release.

An information centre has been opened at the DSCC with a hotline number 9563507 to get information regarding chikungunya, it read.