Dengue menace has turned widespread across the country as dengue patients have already been detected in 50 districts other than the capital where the number of people infected with the viral disease has crossed all records. At least 1,283 dengue patients were hospitalised in these districts, triggering concerns for the Directorate General of Health Services.
Meanwhile, two more patients died of dengue fever at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Enam Medical College Hospital at Savar, raising the number of deaths from the disease reportedly to 41 on Monday. At present, the most dengue-hit districts are Chattogram, Khulna, Jashore, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Bogura, Barishal, Chandpur, Feni, Cumilla, Gazipur and Kishoreganj, according to the Health Services. On Monday, at least 240 new dengue patients were hospitalised and 531 dengue patients were under treatment at the hospitals across the country, excluding the capital, where dengue already becomes a nightmare. The dengue situation may turn worse across the country as people from the capital prepare to go home during Eid and with it the risk of transporting the mosquito-borne dengue virus to the villages. This would mean an increase in the number of infected people, especially in the rural areas where it was yet to make its incursion.
The WHO on July 20 said the dengue situation is alarming in Bangladesh but it was not out of control. Earlier this month, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon said the medicines they were using to kill the mosquitoes were “slightly less effective than promised”. On last Tuesday he said a joint research conducted by icddr,b and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing ineffectiveness of insecticide against mosquitoes did not test samples of medicines used by DSCC. Khokon rejected a claim that the number of dengue patients was 3,00,000 and dubbed it a rumour. He had previously admitted that the outbreak was relatively higher this year but stressed that the situation was “under control” and there was no reason to panic.
So just a week ago the Mayor of DSCC claimed that the situation was under control. This was despite the fact that the High Court came down heavily on the two Dhaka city corporations for their failure to prevent mosquito menace in the capital even after it passed orders for taking necessary steps to this effect earlier this month.
As DSCC knows all too well buying cheap quality insecticide to do the job is useless as controlling the vector Aedes Egyptii (the mosquito responsible for the disease) remains the only way to control the disease. It spends over 22 crore to get substandard insecticides. Moreover these are not used properly.
The authorities concerned have started fining the clinic and hospitals for not keeping dengue medicines and overcharging the patients. Not only that, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam warned to fine the residents if Aedes larva is found in his boundary. We are surprised – instead of holding the corrupt and negligent DCC officials guilty for buying substandard insecticides, the Mayor is now warning the taxpayers. What an audacity!
Their main intention is to earn extra money by fining hospitals and innocent citizens who have no relation with the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes. If you are going to punish the guilty then you must punish all together-every corrupt official must pay fines proportionate to the severity of the epidemic.
The culprits behind the prime reason for the resurgence in dengue must first be found guilty and then fined proportionately in line with the number of cases of dengue in the capital. Both the Mayors of DCCs must be held responsible for their massive failure to control mosquito menace.
We must say, because the ministers have no accountability to the people, the Health Ministry and Dhaka City Corporations must be penalised for gross negligence when hospitals have been fined.
