Although the number of patients being diagnosed with mosquito-borne virus dengue is slowly on the decline, experts are of the view that there is still ample reason for concern.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has said that the situation is “moderately under control.”
Even though it was feared that the number of patients would peak, it has so far been going down.
“Dengue is on the decline and if this continues, there will be some relief,” said Mugda General Hospital Director Amin Ahmed Khan.
A spot visit to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Mugda General Hospital showed that admitted patients as well as those in the external have gone down.
Many patients were seen taking their release papers from the hospitals on Monday (Sept 9) afternoon. Shanta Akhter, one such patient told Bangla Tribune that she had been admitted since last Monday.
Meanwhile, a spot visit to DMCH showed that only two patients were receiving treatment at the ‘severe dengue patient corner’ at the new building’s seventh floor.
The Honorary Medical Officer of the ward Zeenat Nowrin said that, “The number of patients increased mid-August. But the situation has come nearly under control in the beginning of September.
Responding to queries on the matter, DMCH eighth floor Medicine Department Indoor Medical Officer Dr SM Riyashat from the ninth unit of the women’s ward said that all seven patients in that ward were released.
The Medicine Department’s ward in charge Shurma Akhter said that the number of patients will decrease if the rain doesn’t persist.
“As of today there are 22 patients in this ward. The number was around 60 or 70 last month,” she told Bangla Tribune.
In the last 24 hours a total of 716 dengue patients have been admitted to different hospitals across the country, which is six percent less than the day before.
Among them, 300 patients were admitted in Dhaka, and 416 in districts outside Dhaka.
The DGHS Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room in a press release issued on Monday, said the number of patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals in the country were 3,091.
A total of 60 dengue patients have died across Bangladesh from January 1 till September 9, according to their own collected data. However, the unofficial death toll is reported to be at 141, so far.
As many as 1,522 patients are currently receiving treatment in 41 government and private hospitals in Dhaka, whereas 1,569 people are undergoing treatment outside Dhaka, the DGHS data said.
Since January 1 till September 9, a total of 77,230 people have been affected by dengue.
Among those admitted, a total of 73,942 have been released from their respective hospitals and clinics after treatment.
Responding to queries on the matter, DGHS Disease Control Branch Director Dr Sania Tahmina said, “New patients are decreasing but it can’t be said that the situation is under control. We can probably call it moderately under control.”
She added that they were working with the target to reduce the number significantly.
Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCRC) chief Meerjady Sabrina Flora said that the number must be brought down to zero.
Flora added that despite the declining numbers they were still unsatisfied with how many people were being diagnosed everyday.
DGHS Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room Assistant Director Dr Ayesha Akhter said it can’t be said that the outbreak is under control as the month of September is yet to end.
“We hope that it will soon be under control,” she said and added if the people remain conscious the number won’t go up.