Dengue snatches two more lives

Two people including a child died of dengue in Noakhali and Khulna today.

In Noakhali, a four-year-old boy, Parash, died of dengue fever on Monday night while he was being taken to Noakhali General Hospital.

Parash’s uncle Md Ibrahim said his nephew was diagnosed with dengue at Fair Diagnostic Pathology Centre in Lakshmipur town on Saturday morning.

Morshed Alam, pediatrician of Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, said he suggested the guardians to shift Parash to Noakhali General Hospital. “He died around 10:00pm while being taken there,” he said.

The deceased child was the son of Kamruzzaman of Daspara area in Kamalnagar upazila of the district.

Over 148 dengue patients were admitted to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital in the last 18 days till Monday noon.

In Khulna, a man died of the same fever at Khulna Medical College Hospital early hours of Tuesday.

The physicians named the victim Rasel, 32, a resident of Gopalganj.

Khulna civil surgeon Abdur Razzak said Rasel was hospitalised with dengue two days ago.

Bangladesh has been struggling with the dengue outbreak this year. The mosquito-borne disease has so far claimed 40 lives, according to the government but unofficial estimates suggest the death toll is much higher.

Since January, 43,271 people were hospitalised with dengue, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Of them, 35,225 had made full recovery. Currently, more than 8,000 patients, including children, are undergoing treatment at hospitals.

Until Monday morning, 429 dengue cases were reported in Khulna, while 149 are currently hospitalised, the DGHS said.

But the government insists that there has been no dengue-related death in the district so far this year.

On 4 August, a 70-year-old woman and a schoolboy died of dengue in Khulna.