Barguna battles relentless dengue surge even in winter

Dengue patients

Barguna, Nov 19 - Even as winter sets in, the coastal district of Barguna remains gripped by dengue, with new infections being reported daily and the death toll continuing to rise.

As of November 18, the district has recorded at least 15 dengue deaths, while more than 9,000 people have been affected this year. 

According to data shared on Tuesday by the district civil surgeon’s office, 117 dengue patients are currently receiving treatment at the Sadar and upazila hospitals across Barguna.

Within the past 24 hours alone, 21 new patients were admitted to the 250-bed Barguna General Hospital, which is now treating 60 dengue patients. 

During the same period, the upazila health complexes saw 18 fresh admissions—three in Amtali, two in Bamna, four in Betagi and nine in Patharghata. 

A total of 67 patients are currently under treatment at these facilities.

Official records show that 9,029 dengue patients have been treated in Barguna this year, of whom 8,927 have recovered and returned home. 

Barguna District Hospital treated 7,044 of these cases, while 1,985 patients received treatment at upazila-level health complexes.

Patharghata ranks second in infection numbers after Barguna Sadar, having treated 910 patients so far. The upazila has reported two hospital deaths.

Government data confirm 15 dengue-related deaths within the district—12 at Barguna General Hospital, one in Amtali and two in Patharghata. However, an additional 49 residents of Barguna died while undergoing treatment outside the district, pushing the unofficial death toll to around 64.

Barguna Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammad Abul Fattah noted that the district had been declared a dengue ‘hotspot’ as early as March.

‘Through multiple cleanup drives, coordinated efforts by the local administration, and the relentless work of health workers, we were able to keep the situation under control. 

Keeping deaths at 15 despite such a large patient count was a major challenge,’ he said.

While dengue cannot be fully eradicated, raising public awareness, keeping surroundings clean and eliminating mosquito breeding sites could significantly reduce future risks, he said. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh recorded four more dengue deaths in the 24 hours till Tuesday morning, raising the nationwide fatality count to 343 this year. During the same period, 920 new patients were hospitalised, bringing the total number of infections to 86,924, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

DGHS data show that the new cases were reported as follows: 146 in Barishal Division (outside city corporation areas), 116 in Chattogram Division (outside CC), 147 in Dhaka Division (outside CC), 211 in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 151 in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), 72 in Khulna Division (outside CC), 65 in Mymensingh Division (outside CC), two in Rangpur Division (outside CC) and 10 in Sylhet Division (outside CC).

Last year, dengue claimed 575 lives. In 2023, the country experienced its deadliest year on record, with 1,705 dengue deaths. The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 318,749 recoveries that year. - UNB