Dengue corners to be set up at upazila hospitals nationwide

Government has initiated extensive preparations to tackle a possible dengue outbreak by establishing dedicated dengue corners at upazila health complexes across the country, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said on Monday.

Speaking at a meeting on dengue preparedness at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the minister said the government is taking proactive measures to ensure timely treatment and prevent a health crisis during the upcoming dengue season.

“We do not want to waste any time. We are making all-out preparations to combat dengue,” he said.

The minister said a field hospital has already been kept ready on the premises of Dhaka Medical College Hospital to provide treatment for dengue patients. Additional field hospitals will be set up in different parts of the country if the situation demands, he added.

To strengthen healthcare readiness, doctors and nurses across the country will receive training on dengue management and treatment protocols. The training programme, supported by the Bangladesh Society of Medicine, UNICEF and other partner organisations, will begin on Tuesday.

“Healthcare professionals in all seven divisions outside Dhaka, as well as district-level facilities, will be brought under the training programme,” the minister said.

Sakhawat also noted that essential medical supplies, including reagents, testing kits and intravenous saline, are currently available in stock. The government has already decided to procure additional supplies to meet any future demand.

Regarding mosquito control efforts, he said the ministry has been working with city corporations over the past two months to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

The meeting also discussed the introduction of a mobile application aimed at improving dengue awareness, monitoring and response efforts, according to a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID).

Among others, State Minister for Health Dr MA Muhit, Additional Secretary ATM Saiful Islam and Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Pravath Chandra Biswas attended the meeting.