Though there was no report of any death in dengue in Rajshahi division so far, the dengue scenario in the division is apprehended to turn widespread in an epidemic form when millions of people will return to their villages and city homes from Dhaka to celebrate holy Eid-ul-Azha.
However, tension and anxiety over dengue is increasing fast among the people in Rajshahi. The hospitals and diagnostic centres were facing an increasing pressure to test blood for detection of dengue.
People were seen to rush to the hospital or to the diagnostic centres even for a simple headache or fever to test whether they were suffering from dengue.
Shamim Hossain, Manager of Popular diagnostic centre in Rajshahi, said that there was an increased pressure from patients to test NS1 and ICT (IGG and IGM tests) for dengue detection. Moreover, the tests for CBC has also been increased but during other time of the year, such tests are rarely conducted.
He further said, on an average 100 people were testing for detection of dengue daily. On Sunday, 107 people conducted NS1 test at Popular Diagnostic centre of whom 7 were found with positive symptoms of Dengue. Out of 33 ICT tested persons 6 results were found positive.
However, Rajshahi administration has prepared an action plan to counter dengue. All high up officials of Rajshahi division recently held a special meeting at Nagor Bhaban and prepared the action plan. As a part of the plan, dengue corner has been opened in every upazila health complex of Rajshahi division.
According to the action plan, insecticides and mosquito killing chemicals is being sprayed in all Dhaka to Rajshahi bound buses, trains and planes. Measures are being taken to keep all educational institutions clean, to make publicity to create awareness about cause and fatality of Dengue, to detect and destroy the source of regeneration of Aedis mosquito, to spread mosquito killing chemicals through fogger machines in city areas from August 6 and increasing of wards at RMCH for admission of dengue patients.
RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said that to make city people aware of dengue, health workers of RCC were visiting house to house. Moreover, various awareness programmes including discussion, distribution of leaflets, school level awareness, publicity through newspapers, cable networks and publicity among devotees during prayer times at mosques are being implemented in the city.
Nur Ur Rahman, Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner, said that they will conduct mobile courts against those keeping the surroundings of their houses unclean and untidy.
Brigadier Jamilur Rahman of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital advised people not to leave Dhaka with fever.
The number of dengue patients is gradually increasing in Rajshahi. A total of 150 dengue patients have so far been admitted at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital till Sunday afternoon.
RMCH sources said that there was no shortage of kit to diagnose and to test blood at the hospital and there was no specific medicine for the dengue treatment.
