Dengue unstoppable in November too, treatment costs cross Tk500cr

• 1500-1800 patients are being hospitalised every day, an average of 10 people are dying
• Experts recommend coordinated activities throughout the year to combat Dengue
• A five-year master plan should be prepared to deal with dengue, doctors say
• As of Tuesday morning, 12 more deaths were reported, bringing the total fatalities to 1,496 this year

The Dengue outbreak in Bangladesh persisted relentlessly throughout November, even worsened by rising temperatures and an extended monsoon due to the impacts of climate change.

In the month, 1500-1800 patients are being hospitalised every day, an average of 10 people are dying.

Experts said all year-round dengue patients will remain even if the incidence of dengue is reduced by the beginning of next month. They recommend that the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Health continue coordinated activities throughout the year to combat Dengue.

As of Tuesday morning, twelve more deaths were reported, bringing the total fatalities from Dengue in Bangladesh to 1,496 this year. In the same period, 1,470 more patients were hospitalised, bringing the total cases to 295,042, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

Dr Kabirul Bashar, Professor of the zoology department at Jahangirnagar University, and medical entomologist told The Business Standard that from now on, dengue prevalence will be year-round. However, the dengue outbreak is expected to decrease by the end of this month.

"Climate change, stagnant water in parking lots of high-rises and under-construction buildings are providing favourable breeding conditions for the Aedes mosquito throughout the year. This year, dengue cases have been reported in all districts of the country. Therefore, a five-year master plan should be prepared to deal with dengue," he added.

Bashar emphasised the necessity of year-round vector surveillance to fight dengue.

Public Health Expert Dr M Mushtuq Husain said despite a decline in Dengue cases due to reduced rainfall, achieving a day with zero deaths has not occurred yet. By the beginning of December, the number of cases is expected to decrease, although Dengue is poised to persist year-round.

He emphasises the critical role of waste management and enhanced surveillance in combating dengue. Vector control and patient management should be ongoing activities throughout the year.

Most people who get dengue do not have symptoms, so the number of cases may be far higher than the reported numbers, reports Reuters.

"This year we have seen different symptoms for dengue fever," physician Janesar Rahat Faysal told Reuters. "Some patients who came with only coughing symptoms were diagnosed with dengue. This is alarming."

There is no vaccine or drug that specifically treats dengue, but early detection and proper medical care can reduce deaths to fewer than 1% of those infected, experts have said.

Treatment cost crosses Tk500cr: Study

A recent study conducted by the Institute of Health Economics at Dhaka University has unveiled that the expenditure on dengue treatment has surpassed Tk500 crore this year.  On average, families have to pay over Tk19,000 per patient, covering expenses related to both treatment and transportation.

The study compiled patient costs from the inception of this year until 25 October. During this period, a total of 260,829 dengue patients were hospitalised.

The study found varying costs across hospitals, with Dhaka Medical College Hospital spending the highest at Tk30,000 per patient, followed by Mugda Hospital at Tk24,000, and BSMMU at Tk15,000. The average cost across these three hospitals was Tk25,000, while patients outside Dhaka spent around Tk10,000 on average.

The study takes into account the expenses of 161 patients treated in various hospitals, including the three government facilities, along with six private hospitals in the capital.

Despite the government's allocation of approximately Tk400 crore for Dengue patient treatment during the current season, the study indicates that the treatment cost has surpassed this amount.