The dengue situation across the country has taken on a dreadful shape; yet, due to various issues—including the upcoming national elections—the matter seems to be getting swept under the rug.
It is almost as if the attention of local public representatives is no longer on this issue. However, according to a report published yesterday on The Daily Ittefaq online, the number of dengue-related deaths continues to rise. In the last 24 hours alone, five people have died from dengue across the country.
During the same period, 1,034 dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals. This information was disclosed in a press release issued yesterday (Thursday) by the Health Emergency Operations Center and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With this, the total number of dengue deaths this year has reached 307. As of November 6 of this year, a total of 76,026 people have been infected with dengue. Among them, 62.3% are men and 37.7% are women.
It should be noted that according to Wednesday’s report, 10 people died of dengue in a single day—the highest daily death toll this year. Even after that, will we still not wake up?
Expert physicians say that the main reason behind the rising death toll is failure to seek timely treatment. In particular, poor patients from rural areas often come to hospitals only when their condition has become critical.
Government hospitals across the country have made dengue testing completely free, which is undoubtedly a good initiative. Yet many people delay seeking treatment, mistaking dengue fever for an ordinary fever.
As a result, complications and fatalities are increasing. Despite the presence of community health centers in rural areas, negligence and lack of adequate primary healthcare facilities in most urban wards make testing difficult. Moreover, most of the dengue deaths this year are occurring due to shock syndrome, where a patient’s blood pressure and platelet count drop rapidly. This creates complications in fluid management, leading to dehydration and loss of consciousness.
Currently, two major problems—shock syndrome and hemorrhagic fever—are debilitating patients. Due to changes in the nature of dengue and the emergence of new symptoms, many patients fail to recognize the severity of their illness. By the time they are brought to hospitals, their physical condition is already poor, increasing the risk of death.
On the other hand, this year the mosquito control programs of city corporations, municipalities, and union councils appear to have become lax.
The duration and intensity of the monsoon have increased, but mosquito control activities have not been intensified accordingly. A major reason for this is the shortage of manpower in local government bodies.
Under the present circumstances, it is essential to take effective and immediate measures to handle this crisis.
We believe that in the coming days, the dengue situation may cause us even more suffering. Therefore, both government and private hospitals must remain on high alert, and public awareness must be strengthened. There is no alternative to conducting cleanliness campaigns to prevent mosquito breeding.
Every citizen must become more aware and responsible. Each household must prevent mosquito breeding—on rooftops, balconies, under kitchen sinks, beneath refrigerators, in flowerpots, and in spaces between houses where water accumulates and government workers cannot easily reach.
Alongside this, local government bodies must coordinate with various volunteer organizations to carry out community-based mosquito control drives. This year, dengue outbreaks in divisional cities outside Dhaka—such as Barishal, Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh—are particularly alarming. Therefore, there is no longer any room to treat this national problem with negligence.