Dengue: HC again dissatisfied on DCCs measures

The High Court (HC) has once again expressed dissatisfaction on the measures taken by the two Dhaka city corporations in preventing mosquito-borne diseases like dengue.

If the responsible people of the city corporations had taken proper preventive measures, the situation would not have worsened in such manner, the HC said.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader made the comments while hearing of a suo moto move taken by the court earlier this month after Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar submitted a progress report of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on the measures taken by them to prevent dengue outbreak.

Read more

Nothing short of an epidemic

The court asked the government why two kinds of information about the deaths in dengue fever surfaced in media reports.   

DAG Bashar told the court that officially 48 persons died of dengue fever and some others might have died of heart attack.

Then the court said: “Even if it is supposedly 48 persons who died of dengue fever, realise what is the situation of families of those 48 people who died!”

“Dengue outbreak has spread all over the country. If the preventative measures were taken at appropriate time, so many people would not have to die, the court said.

The High Court bench added: “Medicine is being sprayed without any proper test over the year but the medicine is not being effective to kill the mosquitoes.”

DAG Bashar placed the progress report to the court saying that the government is very sincere to prevent mosquito menace.

The holidays of the doctors and officials at the government hospitals were cancelled, he told the court. Import of medicine from abroad has been made tariff-free, he also said.

A total of 10 surveillance teams were formed and mobile courts were conducted at 14 hospitals to ensure proper treatment for dengue patients.

Then, the court said it would not pass any order to this effect at this moment.

Meanwhile, the HC bench asked the journalists to make a report on the court proceeding consciously.

In response to media reports about its comment over the government officials, the court said it had earlier observed that the government officials are servants of the state. But the observation was misled in the media reports, the HC bench added. 

The journalists have independence to make reports but they cannot write anything which can convey wrong message to the people, the court said.