Authorities must brace for tackling dengue now
The rainy season is yet to come in Bangladesh, but the number of patients infected by the dengue at present is five times higher than the number in the past five months of the past year, Health Minister Zahid Maleque revealed yesterday. The Directorate General of Health Services has also sounded an alarm bell that the country might face a massive outbreak of the disease because it is witnessing heavy rainfall even in this ongoing summer season.
Last year, dengue persisted after the rainy season was over and the viral disease was detected in many people even in the months of winter. It is because of this, many called that dengue in Bangladesh has become a disease of all seasons, not just of the monsoon, and in monsoon the rate of infection becomes high and widespread. That is being feared now.
Since the disease can be fatal if the disease turns into a haemorrhagic one when a patient’s platelet count decreases suddenly and very fast, the Health Ministry has to take all out efforts to tackle the increasing number of patients for the coming months. This preparation has to be taken now. Since the Aedes mosquito will multiply during the rainy season when there will be accumulated clean water everywhere including inside the households, it is feared the rate of infection will be very high.
Already a total of 1,704 people have been infected with dengue in the past five months till May 28 and during this period 13 people died. The two city corporations will also have to start a campaign to kill mosquitoes in every nook and cranny of the capital. Moreover, since the disease has spread, from the capital, to other towns and cities, the relevant authorities everywhere will have to take comprehensive mosquito killing programmes.
The dengue has stricken the nation but we are still to see any awareness campaign by the government to make people alert about the disease. In Bangladesh, people in general do not take preventive measures because of ignorance. So, there is an acute need to spread dengue facts among the people.
