The government’s health department has come up with some recommendations, so that the spread of dengue can be avoided for those travelling to their ancestral homes during Eid holidays.

In a media statement on Wednesday (Aug 7), the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has provided a to-do list.

1. Before leaving Dhaka, people should wrap the high and low commodes of houses, offices, and educational institutions, with some sort of lids or covers.

2. The water trays of refrigerators must be dried up.

3. All clogged waters including the water inside the air conditioners' drain pipe must be dried up.

4. All the water of pots and pans, drums, buckets should be emptied and overturned.

5. The lid of the water reservoir must be closed properly.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne virus, spreads among humans through its carrier, the Aedes mosquito. The mosquitoes breed in clean and stagnant water and can hide in the shadows of trees, windows and doors. The disease has no known cure or vaccine yet.

DGHS also directed all private and public hospitals to keep their help desks open at all times during the holidays.

Moreover, community health care providers (CHCPs) of community clinics will be on call on Eid day. For any illness, locals can contact the CHCPs through the designated mobile numbers.

The field-level monitoring cells in Upazilas will be open 24/7 to ensure medical treatment to dengue patients.

To ensure best treatment to dengue patients, 340 trauma intensive care unit (TICU) beds and 335 dialysis units will remain open at public hospitals, as well as some private hospitals.

Special precautionary measures have also been taken at all airports, land ports and maritime ports to prevent the spread of dengue.

Dengue cases still surging

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), As many as 2,428 dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals across Bangladesh in the 24 hours till Wednesday (Aug 7).

The deadly dengue virus, which does not have any known cure or vaccine, continues to spread through its carrier, the Aedes mosquito.