Govt asks private hospitals, diagnostic centres to charge dengue patients reasonably

The government has asked the private hospitals and diagnostic centers to keep service charges at a 'tolerable level' for dengue patients as the mosquito-borne viral disease continues to rise.

This year due to change in signs and symptoms, doctors have to depend on blood test even on the first day of fever to exclude the presence of the virus that so far, according to government, has killed eight people in Bangladesh.

Nearly 8,000 people have been hospitalised.

Sahed Imran, a patient from Bashundhara Residential Area, told bdnews24.com that he had to pay about Tk 3,000 for blood tests for complete blood count or CBC that sees platelet counts, among others, and NS1 antigen test on Wednesday.

“Doctors suggested me to do CBC everyday which is Tk 850,” he said.

NS1 test which is mandatory costs over Tk 1,200 on an average in a diagnostic centre.

Prof Mahmudur Rahman, former director of the government’s disease monitoring arm, IEDCR, told bdnews24.com that considering the situation private hospitals can keep the NS1 test fee at around Tk 500.

“Now a huge number of patients have to do this test. They can easily reduce the price,” he said.

Director General for health services Prof Abul Kalam Azad told bdnews24.com that they have drawn the attention of the private hospitals and diagnostics to keep the costs tolerable from a meeting on Wednesday.

They have also decided to meet soon, he said.