‘Dengue patients need immediate hospitalization to reduce mortality rate’

BSS :
Health experts laid emphasis on immediate hospitalization as the dengue situation in Bangladesh is getting worse this year as the country witnessed a record number of dengue positive cases and deaths.

“All types of dengue positive cases need immediate hospitalization to reduce dengue-related deaths,” Dr M Mushtaq Hussain, adviser of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told BSS.

Dengue positive patients have been divided into three categories-A, B, C-on the basis of severity of the disease, he said, adding dengue positive patients with stable condition are under A category while moderate severe and critical patients are under category B and C.

The health expert said all dengue patients should ensure admission to hospitals for getting remedy from the mosquito-borne disease.

“In order to ensure hospitalization of all infected people, the authorities should take immediate steps to set up primary and secondary hospitals in Dhaka city,” Mushtaq added.

Primary and secondary hospitals at district and upazila levels must be improved with adequate medical facilities for dengue patients, he said, adding “We need more dengue dedicated hospitals both inside and outside Dhaka city to handle the epidemic in the country.”

The health experts attributed the highest dengue-related deaths to lack of awareness and late hospitalization as the country already has reported a record number of dengue-related deaths.

“Dengue fatality rate is very high this year as people are not aware enough about the disease . . . late hospitalization is another reason for death caused by dengue,” IEDCR Director Prof Dr Tahmina Shirin said.

“We are observing that people are not immediately going to doctors after being affected by dengue fever, which is eventually worsening conditions of patients,” she added.

Among the four serotypes of dengue viruses: Den-1, Den-2, Den-3, and Den-4, Tahmina said, Den-2 and Den-3 are more active this year.

“In most cases, dengue symptoms are not seen.

So, we are suggesting people visit doctors immediately after being affected by fever,” she added.

Bangladesh has been grappling to stem dengue outbreak as July was the deadliest month since detection of the mosquito-borne disease in 2000 while experts predicted the dengue situation may deteriorate further in the coming August and September.