Pressure mounts on healthcare facilities as dengue increasing alarmingly

The outbreak of dengue has put massive pressure on public hospitals, private-run diagnostic centres and clinics in Dhaka city as the mosquito-borne disease is increasing alarmingly in the country.

According to authorities and officials concerned of hospitals and healthcare facilities, Bangladesh has so far recorded a large number of dengue positive cases and the outbreak has turned into a pandemic creating huge pressure on the entire healthcare system particularly in Dhaka city.

“Nearly 800 people are coming to Mugda Medical College and Hospital
for performing dengue tests simultaneously around 150 dengue patients are visiting our hospital for admission,” Director of Mugda Medical College and Hospital Dr Md Niatuzzaman told BSS today.

He said, “In order to cope with increased the number of dengue patients, we are expanding treatment facilities . . .four dedicated dengue units have been set up at the hospitals incorporating all logistics supports.”

The hospital authorities have increased capacity of pathology department engaging adequate number of healthcare professionals to provide testing reports at the quickest time, Niatuzzaman said.

Since the beginning of dengue outbreak, the Mugda hospital has been overcrowded with dengue suspected cases and the entire healthcare system of the hospital is working sincerely to provide treatment facilities to dengue patients, he added.

Director of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital Dr Khalilur Rahman said, “In the past 24 hours, 38 dengue patients were admitted… at present, 155 patients got admitted to our hospital”.

The dengue positive cases have been divided into three categories, he said adding, “We are suggesting the dengue patients, who suffer from fever with less health complication, to take treatments from their homes while other two categories belong to dengue fever with multiple health complications and critical patients are being admitted to the hospitals.”

Although the nest two months — August and September — are peak season of dengue cases, the country has already witnessed a sharp rise of dengue cases Khalilur said adding if the rising of trend dengue disease will continue, it will be tough for providing healthcare services to the people.

As of July 22, this year, 167 deaths were reported from dengue disease while 281 died last year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With the new cases, the total number of patients rose to 30,685, the
statement said, adding “Some 23,862 patients were released from different
hospitals this year among the total patients,”

Health experts including Khalilur feared August and September will be more severe as these two months are more suitable for breeding Aedes mosquito.

“The number of dengue patients had been increasing alarmingly since January this year giving a signal of dengue pandemic during rainy season as 566 dengue cases were reported in the first month of the year, which are almost five times higher than that of same period of past three years,” a DGHS official added.

As many as 177 dengue positive cases were recorded in January 2020, 21 cases in January 2021, 126 cases in January 2022 while 566 dengue patients were detected in January 2023, Professor Dr. Md. Nazmul Islam, Line Director, Communicable Disease Control (CDC) of Director of Directorate General of Health Service, told BSS.

He said both city corporations have to play a leading role in curbing dengue diseases, saying: “The city corporations have an authority to develop a mechanism to handle the mosquito-borne disease.”

The health expert said, “If we can be able to kill Aedes mosquito completely or destroying potential breeding grounds, we can prevent the disease…but it is a huge task to eradicate Aedes mosquito completely.”

He said social movement incorporating all levels of people in society including religious leaders should be launched to destroy breeding sources of Aedes mosquito.