Dhaka, August 16 – The number of dengue patients admitted in different public and private hospitals has crossed well over 50,000 this year, breaking all records.Out of these patients, a total of 42,243 have already left the hospitals after complete remedy which reflects that an 84 percent among the dengue affected patients who were hospitalized have gone home after treatment.
According to the data of Directorate General Health Service (DGHS), from January 1 this year, a total of 49,999 dengue patients got admitted in the hospital. Among them, 40 patients have died.
A total of 1,719 dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in the last 24 hours, between Thursday to Friday morning, across the country, Of them 759 people has been admitted in Dhaka, whereas 960 people has been admitted outside Dhaka.
In a press release issued on yesterday noon, DGHS said the number of admitted patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals combined is 7,716.
The number of dengue patients in the last seven and half months of this year has doubled compared to the same period last year and the dengue affected people in the first two weeks of this month has surpassed and nearly doubled the amount of people affected in the whole of the last month.
According to doctors, most dengue victims have died due to the ‘dengue shock syndrome’. The doctors said there is a definite rise in the number of dengue patients this year and children are more at risk.
The actual number of dengue patients and deaths caused by the disease is likely to be higher than what has been reported in the government data, experts said.
Analyzing different media reports and talking with different government and private hospitals in the city, The Independent found that, as of now, the number of deaths caused by dengue is about 55 of fifteen days of this month.
While the DGHS reflects this situation, the actual situation is way more severe. Even though the government records say only 40 people have died so far, but unofficial record says the number of people died in dengue is at least double this amount.
“We have received a record number of dengue patients from across the country so far this month. This month, the number of dengue cases is much higher than that of last month,” said Dr Ayesha Akhter, in-charge of the disease control room at the Directorate of Health.
She also said the health department had taken several initiatives to control the situation. “If the initiatives taken by DGHS work properly, the number of dengue patients will hopefully decrease soon,” she added.
New dengue cases keep escalating in other districts of the country at a faster pace compared to Dhaka according to the data of DGHS.
Doctors said that dengue fever has taken a formidable turn as this time as the heart, kidneys and brains are being affected sending the patient into ‘dengue shock syndrome’ to which most patients have lost their lives.
This year most of the patients died of dengue ‘shock syndrome’.
According to them, dengue shock syndrome causes the blood pressure to fall to dangerous levels sending the patient into multiple organ failure which ultimately leads to their deaths.
Until now, extremely high fever, rashes, and vomiting used to be considered symptoms of the fever, but now doctors recommend going to them immediately after showing signs of fever. Dengue fever can take an alarming turn as the heart, kidneys, and the brain of a patient can get affected very fast, sending a patient into a shock.
However, Dengue may spread further across the country due to intermittent rain and raise the number of patients, say doctors. They warn that the situation may aggravate it the rain was to continue unabated. This year’s pre-monsoon rainfall has caused an increase in the number of dengue patients compared to last year’s. – Staff Reporter
