More than 1,000 people lost their lives due to record dengue infection and death in the country this year.
Why have so many deaths due to dengue this year, there is a storm of criticism across the country, but the aggression of dengue does not stop.
Professor Md Nazmul Islam, director of Disease Control, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said, “Dengue deaths are increasing due to several reasons. Many patients come to the hospital late. By then the situation had worsened. The condition of the patient is getting more complicated due to the second or third attack. It is another cause of death.”
“The number of dengue deaths is expected to increase next year. Because this year more than 2 lakh people have already been affected. If these patients are infected a second or third time, the danger will increase. If you want to reduce the number of patients, you should emphasize on killing mosquitoes. Dengue cannot be prevented unless the Aedes mosquito is controlled,” he added.
According to DGHS, so far 2, 20, 822 people have been admitted to hospital due to dengue in the country. Among them, 87, 582 people were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka, 1, 33, 240 people were admitted to hospitals outside Dhaka. This year 1079 people lost their lives due to dengue fever.
Dengue was first detected in Bangladesh in 1965. The disease was then known as Dhaka fever. But since 2000, the incidence of the disease started increasing. In 2022, the dengue situation was worse. The highest number of deaths in the country was 281 in that year. This was the highest loss of life at that time.
Dengue deaths are increasing rapidly this year. So far this year, the number of deaths due to dengue fever has reached 1079 people. A new record has already been created in the country, breaking the old record in the death of dengue patients.
Prof Nazrul Islam, a virology expert and former vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) said, “The cause of more deaths in dengue seems to be patients coming to the hospital late. As a result, the death rate in the hospital is increasing. However, if hospitals analyze each cause of death, scientific data will be available. We have not received any scientific data yet.”
“Hospitals do not spend much time on patient management. As a result, the field of research is very low. This expert blamed Bangladesh's weather as another reason for dengue deaths this year. There is a considerable lack of preparedness to deal with dengue. More talk than work. That is why the dengue situation in the whole country is getting worse day by day. Due to lack of medical facilities outside Dhaka, more patients are moving towards Dhaka.”
“The government had promised to provide ICU in every district hospital during Covid. But I don't see its implementation. The public health expert suggested making the big hospitals in the districts and divisions more efficient,” he added.
Famous medical expert, Prime Minister's personal physician, and Emeritus Professor Dr ABM Abdullah said, “In case of fever, cold, cough, headache, test should be done without neglect. Patients are coming late to the hospital. Those who are already suffering from various complex diseases or are pregnant should be more careful.”
“The risk is higher for those who are having a second or third attack. If dengue is diagnosed, take liquid food with the doctor's advice. In case of excessive vomiting, or abdominal pain, go to the hospital immediately. Now there are more patients in villages than in cities. Doctors are providing dengue fever services in upazila-level government hospitals there. If you have a fever, you should consult them,” he said.
“Women especially take treatment late. Women forget about themselves while taking care of other family members, come to the hospital late. Women stay at home more. They go less in the sun. As a result, women's immunity is a little less,” Professor Dr ABM Abdullah added.
Public health expert Dr Mushtaq Hossain said that this year the dengue outbreak came much earlier than other years. It has now spread across the country. This year, death and infection have increased at an alarming rate. Coordinated initiatives should be taken to prevent dengue deaths.
“In fact, there was no break in the arrival of dengue patients between last year and this year. We got patients even in winter. A month and a half before the start of the season, we are getting more patients. The type of measures being taken to combat dengue are very conventional. Everyone needs to be aware and take concerted action,” he added.
(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 8 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)
