Dhaka, Aug 26 – The government along with the two Dhaka City Corporations cannot avoid the responsibility for not procuring effective medicine to kill the Aedes mosquito that causes dengue fever among people, a High Court bench observed on Monday.The HC bench comprising Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Shohrowardi came up with the observation while hearing a suo moto rule issued in this regard.
After hearing on the rule, the HC bench also fixed Wednesday for passing its order on whether a judicial commission will be constituted to enquire the incident of deaths due to dengue and chikunguniya, anbother mosquito-borne disease.
During yesterday’s hearing, the LGRD ministry submitted a report before the HC bench saying that the government is working to formulate a long-term plan to prevent dengue and chikunguniya in future.
The report also stated that the number of Dengue patients admitting at the hospitals have been decreased in the meantime.
A record 63,514 dengue infected people went to hospitals this year, according to the DGHS.
The number is five times that of last year. The total number of infected people are likely to be even higher, because many cases go unreported.
At least 5,940 people are currently admitted to different hospitals across the country.
In 24 hours since 8:00am on Saturday, at least 1,299 new patients — 607 in Dhaka and the rest outside — had been admitted to different hospitals, according to the DGHS.
Earlier on several occasion, the HC bench expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of two city corporations of Dhaka in controlling mosquitoes.
Even, the HC bench said that “insecticide is not working and Allah is saving us”.
On August 20, the HC bench told the state lawyer that new dengue patients were being admitted to hospitals every day. No benefit has been found in spraying insecticide.
It asked the two city corporation authorities to inform the court about the daily activities of its workers on how they have been working to control the Aedes mosquitoes.
It said the mosquito-borne disease has become epidemic this year. There is no guarantee that there will be no outbreak of dengue next year. The government has to make a long term plan to destroy the Aedes mosquitoes.
India has a long term work-plan. They have conducted aerial spraying to destroy the Aedes mosquitoes.
Although experts cautioned about the Aedes mosquitoes in February this year, the city corporations did not pay any heed. They have neglected controlling the Aedes mosquitoes. Had the two city corporation authorities taken proper steps, the situation would not have worsened, the HC bench noted.
Advocate Taqfiq Enam appeared for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), while Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Kazi Mainul represented the state during the hearing on the matter. – UNB
