Dengue patients found in 'dengue-free' DSCC areas
Forty-year-old Chhaya Sur lives in Shakharibazar of Old Dhaka. She was infected by the dengue virus three days ago. She is now in National Medical College Hospital in Old Dhaka.
Several other people like her also have been infected with the mosquito-borne dengue.
Shakharibazar is in ward no. 42 of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). The area had been declared dengue-free by DSCC mayor Sayeed Khokon on Thursday.
The mayor on Thursday told a coordination meeting of the health ministry that Lalbagh, Nawabpur, Ganakatuli, Islambagh, Bangshal, English Road, Jigatala, Hazaribagh Kamrangir Char, Dhaka College area, New Market and Purba Jurain are dengue-free areas.
Sayeed Khokon also told the meeting that the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) conducted a survey in DSCC’s wards between 17 and 27 July. The survey did not find presence of the larvae of Aedes mosquito in wards 3, 14, 18, 22, 23, 29, 35, 42, 53, 55 and 56, he added.
Islampur is adjacent to Shakharibazar. Mohammad Jewel, 18, lives with his parents there and works at the Dhaka district and sessions judge court.
He was found to be infected with dengue six days ago and is under treatment at National Medical College Hospital for the last five days.
Nure Alam is a student of Kabi Nazrul Government College. He lives at Bagdasa Lane in Bangshal of the old part of Dhaka.
Nure Alam was admitted to National Medical College Hospital after being infected with dengue three days ago. He said a few more students of Kabi Nazrul Government College have also been infected with the disease.
A schoolboy's appeal
An eighth grader at St. Gregory's High School and College, Ishaq Dhali, has been infected with dengue four days ago. He lives with his parents at Rupchand Lane.
“I would not be in hospital if the mayor had taken proper initiatives to kill mosquitoes. I could have been studying properly now,” Ishaq said.
“I’m seeing reports on deaths in newspapers and on television but it is being said that there’s no dengue patients. Yet I see so many dengue patients at the hospital,” he added.
National Medical College Hospital physician Md Mahfuz Ullah told Prothom Alo, “Many people of Old Dhaka are taking admission to hospital for dengue.”
At least 50 dengue patients are under treatment for dengue at the hospital at present.