Bangladesh logs record single-day dengue cases, 18 more deaths

Staff Reporter  :
At least 3,122 dengue patients were hospitalised in the past 24 hours till Sunday morning–the highest single day cases this year.

The new detections pushed the caseload from the mosquito-borne disease this year to 1,67,684.

Earlier, on 10 September, the highest 2,993 dengue patients were hospitalised in a day.

Besides, 18 more deaths were reported from dengue during the period, raising the death from the mosquito-borne disease toll to 822 this year.

Of the new patients, 849 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and 2,273outside Dhaka City, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

So far, 1,56,425 dengue patients were released from hospitals in the country this year.

The dengue outbreak has been worse in 2023 than in previous years.

Last year, hospitals up and down the country reported 62,382 patients taking medical care, and the death toll stood at 281, the highest since the record-keeping began for dengue hospitalisations in the 2000.

Bangladesh witnessed over 1,00,000 dengue hospitalisation in 2019, which stands as the record number of cases in a single year. The official death toll that year was recorded as 179.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGSH) has instructed all health officials across the country not to send any dengue patients to Dhaka from outside the capital for treatment.

“Instead, we have strictly instructed them to ensure treatment to critical patients to save lives at local hospitals.

Every public hospital, including upazila health complexes, has adequate arrangements to manage dengue patients,” said Prof Ahmedul Kabir, additional director general (planning and development) of the DGHS at a press conference yesterday.

The instruction was given at an online meeting on Sunday with all civil surgeons, upazila health and family welfare officers and other health officials working in different parts of the country.

Kabir said wasting time in transporting critical dengue patients to Dhaka was futile.

“This puts the life of patients at risk,” he added.

He also said there is no shortage of normal injectable saline in the country.

“But some dishonest people are trying to create a fake crisis. We have instructed the civil surgeons to take actions against those involved in the malpractice,” Ahmedul Kabir said.

Answering a question about cheating patients in the name of treatment at the intensive care units (ICUs), he said, “Many private hospitals are cheating patients for financial gain.

We have instructed health officials to take stern action, including [imposing] fines and even detention with the help of law enforcement agencies.”

In response to a query about patient exploitation within ICUs, he stated, “Numerous private hospitals are engaging in deceptive practices for financial gain.

We have directed health authorities to take decisive measures, such as imposing fines and, if necessary, involving law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability.”