Free dengue care in private hospitals
Amid a growing number of dengue infections, the government has instructed private hospitals nationwide to provide free treatment facilities for dengue patients in at least 10 per cent of their beds and significantly reduce diagnostic costs.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sakhawat Husain announced the measures after a meeting on dengue prevention and preparedness on Tuesday, saying dengue patients admitted to designated beds would not be charged doctors’ consultation fees. They will only need to cover the costs of medicines and meals.
The minister said private hospitals have also been directed to offer discounts of up to 80 per cent on dengue-related diagnostic tests to ease the financial burden on patients.
To ensure preparedness, all private hospitals have been asked to submit detailed reports to the Health Ministry within three days, including the number of beds allocated for dengue patients, available stocks of saline and other essential fluids, and future procurement plans.
The government will directly contact patients to verify whether hospitals are providing the facilities and services announced under the new directive, he said.
On dengue vaccination, the minister said Bangladesh would not immediately introduce a vaccination programme despite its use in some countries, noting that international consensus on the vaccines remains limited.
He said consultations would be held with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, along with other relevant organisations and experts, before any decision is made.
Calling for greater public participation, the minister urged media organisations and private hospitals to support awareness campaigns on dengue prevention. He also requested television channels to air awareness messages during programme breaks.
At the same time, city corporations have been asked to strengthen efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, particularly in abandoned toilets and waterlogged areas.
The minister warned that legal action, including mobile court operations, would be taken against individuals who fail to maintain clean premises and allow mosquito breeding.
“Dengue prevention is not the responsibility of the government alone, it is a collective responsibility. Like Covid-19 pandemic, everyone must work together to tackle the challenge,” he said.
He added that doctors, nurses, hospital owners, media outlets and local administrations must work in coordination to keep the situation under control.
A three-month nationwide awareness campaign will begin this week, featuring public announcements, media advertisements, community meetings and courtyard gatherings. As part of the campaign, rallies will be held simultaneously at 10am on Saturday in Dhaka North and South city corporations, all divisional headquarters and district towns.
Bangladesh recorded one dengue-related death and 110 new hospital admissions in the 24 hours until Monday, reflecting a sharp increase in infections across the country.
