Saff Reporter :
Dengue infected patients admitted to different hospitals are facing acute crisis of saline solution, one of the most important medicines for the treatment of the disease, but the Directorate General of Health Services denies to shoulder the responsibility alone.
Meanwhile, a total of 10 patients died and 2,764 hospitalised in the last 24-hour, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease to 313 this year, according to DGHS on Sunday.
Of reported new cases, 1,078 have been admitted to hospitals in Dhaka, while the remaining patients have been admitted to hospitals outside the capital. Currently, there are a total of 9,347 dengue patients undergoing treatment in hospitals throughout the country, with 4,605 of them being treated in the capital.
As of now, the DGHS has documented a total of 66,732 dengue cases this year, out of which 57,072 patients have already recovered from the disease.
On the other hand, regarding the liquid saline crisis, the concerned official of the directorate said that there were other organisations, including pharmaceutical companies and drug administration, which can be blamed for the crisis.
The Director of the Health Directorate, Prof Dr. Md Shahadat Hossain said this during a virtual press conference on dengue test on Sunday.
“The issue of saline solution does not solely depend on the DGHS. Other organisations, including pharmaceutical companies and the Drug Administration Department, also play a significant role in the matter,” he said.
He mentioned that the coordination between the Drug Administration and the DGHS is crucial in this regard. The ministry is working towards this goal, and efforts are being made to gather information from there and inform the public accordingly.
Regarding the management of saline solution shortages in both government and private hospitals, he said, “Drug Administration has been notified about the matter.
The reason for the scarcity and price increases is being investigated by the Health Department.”
Dr. Shahadat Hossen also pointed out that the outbreak of any disease reaches its peak at one point, and then gradually declines.
“However, there is no guarantee that the same pattern will occur every year. Last year, dengue cases started to decrease in October.
This year, there is hope that if dengue cases can be controlled in August, the number of affected individuals will decrease, and the situation will improve,” he said.
Regarding the recent rise in dengue cases, he mentioned that the current number of dengue patients in Dhaka has stabilised compared to the previous period.
“However, outside Dhaka, the number of patients is increasing, but not at the same rate as before.
Once the situation stabilises and the number of patients decreases, the pressure on hospitals will also decrease.
However, until that time, there is still cause for concern,” he said.
Regarding a new medicine brought by the City Corporation to combat Aedes mosquitoes, Dr. Shahadat Hossain stated that he does not have complete information about its effectiveness as he is not directly involved with the City Corporation’s dengue control initiatives.
However, he mentioned that the City Corporation has conducted extensive testing and examination of the medicines they have brought. The effectiveness of the newly introduced medicine has been thoroughly evaluated before its application, he opined.
Meanwhile, in a separate programme at Osmany Auditorium, DGHS Director-General Prof Dr ABM Khurshid Alam said that hospitals will be given additional funds to procure liquid saline locally.
He said this in response to a question that many hospitals are facing a crisis in its supply of liquid saline.
In his response, Dr. ABM Khurshid Alam explained that the government company Essential Drug Company Limited (EDCL) is responsible for supplying us with saline.
However, due to the current increase in demand in the market, EDCL is unable to meet the complete demand.
“Therefore, we have given directives to all hospitals and provided additional funds for procuring saline locally.
Controlling the market is not our responsibility; those responsible for market control will handle it,” he said.
Regarding the increased cost of Dengue testing kits, he stated that he is not aware of who is purchasing them at higher prices. However, they have ensured that sufficient kits are available in all hospitals.
They have provided an adequate number of kits to each hospital, and there is enough stock of kits. People should come to them, and they will be provided with the necessary support.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon at a discussion titled “The Spread of Dengue in the Context of Environmental and Social Impact,” the discussants alleged that there was no integrated plan or coordination among government agencies to combat dengue.
They said that dengue outbreak in the country started increasing from the year 2000.
Despite more than two decades passing, the situation has not been effectively controlled, and there is no coordination among the government institutions to address the issue.
No research has been conducted at the government level, and the healthcare system remains centered around medical colleges in urban areas.
There are no nationwide initiatives or programmes to combat the dengue menace.
Vice-president of BAPA, Ikbal Habib, stated that the spread of dengue is influenced by climate change and environmental degradation.
He pointed out the lack of awareness and concern regarding dengue within the government.
“There is no integrated plan or coordination among government institutions, even between the two cities. Proper waste management in the city is also lacking,” he said. He also highlighted how the roads in Dhaka have been elevated, causing water to accumulate in lower areas, especially in dengue hotspots where the roads are significantly higher.
Meanwhile, due to the nationwide increase in the prevalence of dengue, the Election Commission has issued directives to the Election Commission Secretariat and field staff to clean up offices under their jurisdiction and destroy places where water accumulates.
