Dengue outbreak
Spray insecticide more intensively
High Court orders authorities concerned
Staff Reporter, Dhaka
A High Court (HC) bench yesterday ordered the authorities concerned to spray insecticide more intensively across the country to control Aedes mosquitoes that cause dengue. It also observed that the authorities concerned must take action against those responsible for the delay in bringing new effective insecticide.
The HC bench, comprising Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Md Shohrowardi, came up with the order while hearing on a suo motu rule issued by it in this regard. In its order, the HC bench also said that insecticide would have to be sprayed intensively to destroy mosquito breeding fields.
Referring to steps taken by the Malaysian government to control Aedes mosquitoes, the HC bench said the authorities concerned could conduct large scale drives along with the common people after announcing two days of vacation for schools and colleges, if needed.
It asked the government and two Dhaka city corporations to submit separate reports before it by October 16 about the progress on preventive steps taken against the mosquito menace. On Monday, the HC bench had said that it would pass an order on Wednesday on forming a committee to find out those responsible for failure to bring new effective insecticide to exterminate the Aedes mosquitoes. But lawyers of the state and the city corporations told the court not to form the probe committee at this stage, saying that it would hamper the drive against mosquitoes. They told the court that at present employees are earnestly working to kill mosquitoes. If an inquiry committee is formed, their activities might be hampered, the lawyers said.
The HC bench then decided not to issue any order to form the body at this stage and kept the matter pending till October 16 for passing further order on the matter. Barrister Toufique Inam Tipu represented the two city corporations, and the Deputy Attorney General, Barrister Mainul Hasan, represented the state.
Bangladesh has been struggling to contain the dengue outbreak this year with 66,064 patients hospitalised since January 1. Of them, 60,569 have been discharged after treatment.
In the 24 hours till 8am on Tuesday, 1,299 new dengue patients were hospitalised. Currently, 5,322 people are being treated in different hospitals and clinics, the government said. Of them, 2,999 are in Dhaka and 2,323 outside the capital.
Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, causes flu-like illness and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue. About half of the worlds population is now at risk, according to WHO.
South-east Asian countries are seeing a huge increase in fatal dengue cases this year. There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue, but early detection and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates below one per cent.
According to data collected from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 52 dengue patients have died across Bangladesh from January 1 till August 27.
However, the unofficial death toll is reported to be over 121.
