Dengue situation turns alarming in Khulna

KHULNA, Sept 5: The dengue situation in Khulna has taken a serious turn, with the number of reported cases in the division nearing 7,000 this year, putting growing pressure on hospitals across the region.

According to the latest health authority data, 258 new dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in Khulna division in the past 24 hours. Of them, 224 were admitted to government hospitals and 34 to private facilities.

No new dengue death was reported during the period, leaving the death toll at 21.

Since January 1, a total of 6,849 dengue patients have been reported in the division, while 5,793 have recovered and returned home. Currently, 876 patients are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

Health authorities and hospital officials, however, believe the actual number of infections could be several times higher, as many patients receive treatment at private facilities or at home.

Khulna division Director of Health Services Dr Sheikh Md Mosharraf Hossain said the number of dengue infections from January 1 to September 5 had approached 7,000.

Khulna district has recorded the highest number of infections, with 2,447 cases so far. Khulna Medical College Hospital alone has treated 1,630 dengue patients.

Nearly 7,000 cases reported as hospitals struggle with a surge of patients

A visit to Khulna Medical College Hospital and several other hospitals found patients receiving treatment beyond designated dengue wards, with beds placed in corridors, verandas and on floors due to overcrowding.

Parents are particularly struggling to accommodate children in the paediatric ward as the number of dengue patients continues to rise.

The situation is similar at private hospitals. Khulna City Medical College Hospital Manager Md Hamidul Islam said the hospital has only 15 dedicated beds for dengue patients, but more than four times that number are currently receiving treatment.

“Patients are being accommodated in different wards and cabins due to the excessive pressure,” he said.

Ad-din Hospital Manager Md Hossain Ali said the pressure was so high that the hospital could no longer provide single-bed facilities. Around 70 dengue patients are currently admitted there, he said.

According to the Khulna Civil Surgeon’s Office, at least five beds have been kept ready at dengue isolation units in every upazila health complex. Supplies of normal saline, oral saline, paracetamol, mosquito nets and other essential medicines are adequate, while dengue test kits are also available at district and upazila hospitals.

Medical Officer of the Civil Surgeon’s Office Dr Himel Ghosh said Aedes mosquitoes reproduce in stagnant water during and after the rainy season. He said the mosquitoes, which earlier mainly bit people during the daytime, now appeared to be biting both during the day and at night.

Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Md Shawkat Ali said Aedes mosquitoes were breeding not only in clean water but also in polluted water.

Meanwhile, Khulna City Corporation and other agencies have intensified mosquito-control operations, including insecticide spraying and mobile court drives. KCC has divided the city’s 31 wards into three zones based on infection and larval density, with 10 wards declared red zones.

KCC Chief Health Officer Dr Sharif Shamiul Islam said Abate was being sprayed in the morning and fogging carried out in the afternoon, while mobile courts were imposing fines when mosquito larvae were found.

KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju said leave of sanitation and health department staff had been cancelled to intensify dengue-control activities, urging residents to keep their homes and surroundings clean.

Despite these measures, the continued rise in infections and hospital admissions has raised serious concerns among residents, with health officials urging people to remain vigilant and prevent mosquito breeding around their homes.