Actions are being taken by collecting data on dengue patients

Dhaka North City Corporation has strengthened the ongoing regular mosquito eradication program to control dengue. According to the list of dengue patients sent by the Department of Health, their information and addresses are being collected and breeding grounds of Aedes mosquitoes are being destroyed through special larvicide and adulticide activities in and around the residence.

DNCC Public Relations Officer Maqbool Hossain gave this information in a press release on Thursday (November 8). According to the notification, cleaning activities have been increased in addition to the regular mosquito eradication activities. Regional Executive Officers and Assistant Health Officers are regularly organizing exchange meetings with local residents in ten regions of DNCC to make people aware.

Chief Health Officer Brig. General Imrul Kayes Chowdhury said that since the beginning of this year, our officers have been working on the ground for the proper implementation, coordination and close supervision of mosquito control activities. A team consisting of DNCC officials and senior officials of local government departments has been monitoring regular mosquito eradication activities. Throughout the year our workers have made people aware. To protect citizens from dengue infection, activities such as creating public awareness, destroying mosquito breeding grounds, conducting cleaning operations and killing larvae and mosquitoes are being implemented.

He said that due to miking, distribution of leaflets, rallies and house-to-house search and destruction of Aedes mosquito breeding grounds, the number of dengue patients is much less this year than last year. We have stepped up operations to bring it under control.

He further said, we are contacting them according to the list of patients of the health department and arranging contact tracing. In almost all cases we see the patient's address is shown in DNCC but he is not actually a resident of this North. Scrutinizing the patient data shows that the actual number of patients in our DNCC area is much less than the list. Accurate and reliable data is essential for an accurate and timely action plan.

The Chief Health Officer also said that the North City Corporation is not only working with the dengue patients in the hospital but the volunteer group of the City Corporation is active in finding the patients in the community. Apart from this, free dengue tests have been arranged for citizens in 36 urban maternity homes and maternity centers of North City Corporation. Although the number of patients identified in this is high, we believe that timely diagnosis and receiving proper treatment is helping to reduce the complications and mortality of North City Corporation patients to a great extent.

According to the dashboard report of the Department of Health on November 6, the number of dengue patients in DNCC is 292. According to the attached address in the list of health department, the number of patients of DNCC is 137. According to the information obtained by contacting the patients, the number of dengue patients living in the DNCC area is 89 (the remaining 48 patients are outside the DNCC area). Scrutiny of the data shows that the number of patients affected in the DNCC area is much higher than the actual number as many patients use addresses of hospitals and relatives in the DNCC area.

MMA/MRM