Two city corporations in Dhaka have taken all preparations with taking various activities to tackle the possible outbreak of dengue fever in the upcoming monsoon.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is going to launch mobile courts, combing operations and free dengue tests to protect city dwellers from dengue, sources said.
Mobile courts will be conducted in the houses, buildings and institutions under DNCC from today (May 10).
Besides, a special 10-day cleansing programme (combing operation) will be launched in each ward from May 16 to destroy breeding grounds of Aedes mosquito in DNCC area, Public Relations Officer (DNCC) ASM Mamun said on Saturday.
If authorities find suitable environment or breeding grounds of Aedes mosquito in any house, there will be fine or imprisonment or both according to the law, the DNCC official added.
During the combing operation, the DNCC cleaners and mosquito workers will visit houses, buildings and institutions in DNCC area and destroy the dengue friendly environment.
Moreover, free dengue testing will be started from May 11 at five urban maternity hospitals and 22 urban health centers in the DNCC area to identify patients infected with dengue fever. The tests include NS1, IgG and IgM.
Free dengue testing will be available at all these city maternity hospitals and urban health centers every day from 9 am to 2 pm except Friday.
In this regard, DNCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Md Mominur Rahman told Bangladesh Post, “Adequate kits for dengue testing have already been provided at different centers. The patient will know the test result immediately after testing.”
“Our mosquito control workers are now regularly spraying larvicides. We hope that the way the city people are cooperating with us to prevent coronavirus, will also cooperate with us to prevent mosquito breeding by cleaning their own households,” he added.
The newly elected mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Atiqul Islam said, “I am personally monitoring whether the mosquito control workers are applying larvicides or not. We also had meetings with all the organizations in this regard. We are trying our best to control dengue as well as mosquito menace.”
“There will be fine if the mobile courts find any Aedes mosquito breeding grounds inside people’s properties,” he also said.
On the other hand, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) officials said that they have started spraying larvicides and pesticides. Several initiatives have been taken to control dengue this year, sources said.
According to data of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a total of 298 dengue infection cases were reported in Bangladesh between January 1 and May 5, while only 131 cases were recorded in the first four months in 2019.
In 2019, more than one lakh dengue infected people were hospitalized across the country, breaking all previous records of the past two decades, according to data from DGHS.