RANGPUR, Aug 05: The number of dengue patients is on the increase in the district.
Some 115 patients were hospitalised until Sunday, sources said.
However, most of the patients carried the disease from outside the district while six have been attacked with the disease in Rangpur and its adjacent districts.
Patients and their relatives alleged that the treatment is being hindered due to lack of adequate equipment including kits in the hospital.
The number of patients is increasing day by day but they don't have enough kits, said acting director of RMCH Dr. Sultan Ahmed.
He said they are trying to ensure proper treatment of the patients who are admitted to the hospital.
The government is supposed to provide the kits on an emergency basis, he added.
However, there was no report of admission of any dengue patient at any upazila health complex or hospital. Civil Surgeon office collected some 120 kits which were sent to upazila level hospital to combat any adverse circumstances, according to Rangpur civil surgeon office sources.
Nur Hossain, a patient who was undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital said he has been suffering from dengue since Friday.
He said that he was affected by the dengue after visiting Dhaka last week. Many other patients said they went to Dhaka before being affected.
Many people are being affected by the disease without common symptoms, physicians said. Meanwhile, the unprecedented outbreak of dengue has created a sense of panic among the general public in the city.
City dwellers alleged that menace of mosquitoes is acute almost everywhere including houses, offices, educational institutions, markets, railway stations and bus terminals.
Lack of regular anti-mosquito drives by the city corporation authority has led mosquitoes to breed freely in different parts of the city, dwellers alleged.
Owing to frequent dumping of waste and a lack of maintenance and stagnant of water in the century-old Shymasundari canal has turned into a suitable place for mosquito breeding place.
They alleged many drains have turned into big breeding grounds of mosquitoes as city corporation employees do not clean those regularly. Moreover, garbage remains piled up in many areas of the city without being disposed of properly which are also congenial habitats for mosquitoes, inhabitants alleged.
Mayor of Rangpur City Corporation Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa said presently, they are trying their best to combat the situation. Anti-mosquito drive is being conducted in different areas under the city corporation.
Our Bogura Correspondent adds: Parents are worried as children and students are being affected with dengue fever in the district.
Besides, kits of dengue fever are insufficient in the district. A total 289 people have been diagnosed as dengue-affected patients in the district.
Local people are suspecting that the disease will break out in the areas in an epidemic form during the Eid vacation when the dengue-affected patients will visit the district from Dhaka.
Sources said precautions have been taken by the school authorities so that dengue fever cannot spread from the schools.
Some parents of school students said they are worried about their children as dengue is spreading fast.
They further alleged that mosquito preventive medicine, aerosol and repellents are selling at a high rate now.
Head teacher of Bogura Zilla School Mostaq Habib said medicine is sprayed every morning at the classrooms and the compound.
District Civil Surgeon Gosul Azim Chowdhury said some 102 dengue affected patients have been admitted to government and private hospitals.
Sources at the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital said 15 new dengue patients were admitted to the hospital on Monday.
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