Dengue test fee halved to Tk50 at govt hospitals
DNCC Covid Hospital to be dedicated for dengue treatment
Dengue tests will be done at Tk50 in all government hospitals from now on. Besides, the Directorate of Health has ordered all government hospitals to strengthen their dengue corner activities.
The Directorate General of the Health Services (DGHS) on Wednesday set the dengue testing fee at Tk50 at government hospitals for the next 30 days, reducing it from Tk100.
Earlier, government hospitals used to charge Tk100 for an NS-1 antigen test for dengue patients, and in private hospitals it is Tk300.
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Meanwhile, amid the rise in dengue cases, the health directorate is going to convert the DNCC Covid Hospital to a health facility dedicated to treating dengue patients.
Dengue fever continues to wreak havoc across the country as a record 1,246 patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
Five more patients died at the same time. With this, the death toll from mosquito-borne fever rose to 88, the DGHS data shows.
According to a notice signed by Dr Sheikh Daud Adnan, acting director (hospitals and clinics) at the DGHS, all the hospitals are asked to ensure the necessary manpower and medical services in the respective dengue corner.
Of the new patients, 709 were admitted to Dhaka hospitals and 537 outside the capital. A total of 3,791 dengue patients, including 2,530 in Dhaka, are currently receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
All government hospitals should follow dengue management guidelines. Updated guidelines for fluid management should be followed. Adequate supply of dengue testing kits should be ensured. Dengue patients should be sure to use mosquito nets.
The DGHS has also advised countrymen to be careful instead of panicking over dengue fever.
In case of fever, people were asked to take a dengue test following the doctor's advice.
Lately, the traditional symptoms of dengue infection have changed making it more unpredictable and riskier to deal with, amid an alarming rise in daily cases and deaths.
Health experts urged people to consult a doctor in the case of symptoms like severe body aches, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and body joint pain, nausea, swelling of the nasal glands, rash or red spots on the body, and thin stools.
Meanwhile, they stressed mosquito killing and personal precautions to deal with dengue.
DNCC Covid hospital to be dengue-dedicated one
The government has decided to convert the DNCC Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital located in the capital's Mohakhali area into a hospital for treating dengue patients. Dengue patients are already being admitted and treated at the hospital.
Shafiqul Islam, deputy director of the disease control branch of the DGHS, told The Business Standard that they have received a verbal directive from the health minister in this regard. But the facility cannot be declared fully dedicated to dengue patients currently due to the lack of manpower and equipment.
He said, "Once these resources are in place, the facility will be fully dedicated to dengue patients."
99 hospitalised in Ctg in a single day
Some 99 new patients were admitted to Chattogram hospitals in the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning, according to the district civil surgeon's office.
Of the new patients, 45 were admitted to government hospitals in Chattogram while 54 in private hospitals. So far, the civil surgeon's office recorded 1,113 dengue cases and 13 deaths in Chattogram.
