Barguna grapples with soaring dengue cases, with no ICU, standard ambulance

Zainal Abedin (42), a resident of Sadar upazila in Barguna, had a fever. When taken to the hospital, he was diagnosed with dengue. As his condition worsened, his family tried to shift him to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal. However, he died of severe breathing issues just as they reached the hospital gate.

Zainal Abedin died on 16 June. His daughter, Maria Akter, said her father had a fever, and tested positive for dengue in Barguna. “When his condition got worse, we tried to take him to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal, but he died of breathing complications just as we reached the hospital premises.”

Dengue is taking a devastating turn in Barguna. Yet, the Barguna 250-bed General Hospital has no Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The only ICU-equipped ambulance is also out of service.

As a result, patients in critical condition are being taken to Barishal or Dhaka in sub-standard ambulances, putting their lives at risk. There are incidents when the patients died while being taken to other hospitals for better treatment.

According to official data, five dengue-related deaths were recorded at Barguna Sadar Hospital from January to 21 June. However, unofficial sources claim at least 11 deaths. The number of dengue patients in the district is increasing daily.

From January to 19 June this year, a total of 3,290 people have been hospitalised with dengue across the Barishal division, with 2,026 of them in Barguna alone.

According to physicians, the Barguna hospital has been overwhelmed with dengue patients for over a month. Every day, 60 to 70 patients are being admitted. On Thursday, 217 dengue patients were treated at the hospital.

Currently, the number of dengue patients in Barguna accounts for nearly one-third of the country’s total cases. Due to a shortage of beds, limited medical personnel, and a lack of ICU facilities, it has become difficult to provide proper treatment, according to physicians.

On the condition of anonymity, a physician said the biggest challenge is not just the shortage of beds but the lack of ICU support for critical patients. “Often we are left helpless when the patients’ condition deteriorates to a critical state.”

The hospital’s superintendent, Rezwanul Alam, said they are doing their best to cope with the influx of patients, but without an ICU, referring critical cases to other hospitals is their only option. It’s mentally stressful for them as well.

Due to the absence of an ICU at Barguna General Hospital, patients are being sent to Barishal or Dhaka. But with the ICU ambulance out of order, they are being transported in regular ambulances—adding to the risk.

Locals said the 250-bed hospital has no ICU unit and no functional ICU ambulance. As a result, critical patients lose time while being transferred to Barishal, sometimes costing them their lives.

Hassan Jhantu, president of the Barguna district health rights forum, said this year’s dengue situation has taken an epidemic turn in this coastal district. Almost every household in the city has dengue patients. The lack of an ICU is not only unfortunate, it is a failure of the administration.

“If an ICU is not set up and the ICU ambulance is not restored soon, dengue-related deaths will continue to rise,” he added,

The civil surgeon of Barguna, Mohammad Abul Fattah, told Prothom Alo, “We are taking the issue of ICU setup very seriously. We’ve discussed it with higher authorities and will soon send a proposal to the Directorate General of Health Services.”