Dengue claims 11 more lives in 24 hours

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh recorded 11 more deaths from dengue in 24 hours till Sunday morning, raising the fatalities in the mosquito-borne disease to 548 this year across the country.

During the period, 2,327 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, the Directorate General of the Health Services (DGHS) said.

Data of the DGHS showed among the new patients, 920 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and 1,407 outside the capital–indicating a worsening situation across the country.

It showed that a total of 8,299 dengue patients, including 3,945 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.

So far, the DGHS has recorded 1,14,511 dengue cases and 1,05,664 recoveries this year.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday said that the government has spent Tk400 crore for the treatment of dengue patients this year.

He said that Tk50,000 is being on one dengue patient at the moment.

Health Minister said that 70 per cent of the dengue patients have received treatment in the country’s government hospitals.

And the government is providing dengue treatment free of cost at the hospitals.

The Health Minister gave this information at a round table discussion on dengue management at Hotel Sheraton in Banani in the capital.

He also said that although men are more affected by dengue, women are dying more.

Therefore, the minister urged people to take more care of women and children.

Besides, Unicef has delivered medical supplies for children as cases surge in Bangladesh.

With more than 21,000 cases of dengue reported among children under the age of 15, Unicef is intensifying its support to the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh to contain the dengue outbreak in the country.

To protect children and to respond to the public health emergency, UNICEF is delivering $2.25 million worth of urgently needed testing kits, and training of professionals, along with other critical supplies and services in the health and water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors.

The dengue outbreak has now spread to 64 districts. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, more than 112,000 cases of dengue have been reported, of which 20pc are children below the age of 15 years.

“Once again, children in Bangladesh are on the frontlines of climate change as the dengue crisis here escalates,” said Sheldon Yett, Unicef representative to Bangladesh, said on Sunday.

“The government of Bangladesh is undertaking a timely and effective response to the ongoing dengue situation in the country.