The Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) authorities have formed a committee to confirm dengue-related deaths amidst widespread panic over the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease.
“A ‘Death Review Committee’ has been formed for investigation into dengue-related deaths at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH),” said the hospital Director Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday (Aug 7).
“Some patients are dying after being admitted to the hospital with fever. But tests need to be run in order to ensure if indeed their death was caused by dengue,” he said.
He added that there are cases when the patient was suffering from various other illnesses before contracting a fever and the relatives claim that the death was caused by dengue.
He said that the committee will be responsible for determining the cause of deaths.
The seven-member committee comprises of representatives from the DMCH medicine, pediatrics, pathology and anesthesia departments.
According to DMCH Additional Director (administration) Dr Nasir Uddin, as of Wednesday (Aug 7) 18 people have died of dengue. As many as 3,546 people checked into the hospital since January to Aug 8 this year. Among them, 721 are still undergoing treatment.