Dengue keeps spreading in Kushtia, municipal services draw residents’ ire

With dengue spreading across Kushtia, residents of the district's worst-hit neighbourhoods are living in fear, while public hospitals struggle to cope with the growing number of patients.

In Thanapara, a dengue hotspot, residents blame “poor” drainage management and inadequate services by the municipality for creating breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.

More than 2,000 dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals across the district between June and November, according to the Civil Surgeon’s Office.

Six people have died while receiving treatment during the period, excluding patients who were transferred to Dhaka or Rajshahi.

Civil Surgeon Sheikh Mohammad Kamal Hossain said his office began public awareness campaigns six months ago, warning of a possible outbreak, but the efforts failed to prevent the surge.

Kushtia Medical College Hospital has treated 972 patients, while Kushtia General Hospital treated 626.

The Upazila health complexes in Daulatpur, Bheramara, Mirpur, Kumarkhali and Khoksa have treated 260, 121, 80, 61 and 66 patients respectively.

Fourteen critically ill patients were referred to Dhaka and Rajshahi, while many others received treatment at home.

Doctors and hospital staff are struggling to accommodate patients, with admissions rising two to three times faster than discharges.

Kushtia General Hospital's resident physician Iqbal Hasan says three separate wards have been set aside for male, female and child patients.

Only those with dangerously low platelet counts or requiring intensive care are admitted; others are sent home with prescriptions.

About 90 percent of admitted patients came from urban areas, particularly Thanapara.

Residents blame more than half a dozen exposed drainage outlets near slum settlements in Char Thanapara and Amlapara.

Local journalist Sharif Uddin Biswas says residents pay municipal taxes but receive little in return, pleading for urgent action to protect them from dengue.

Municipal Executive Engineer Sohel Rana says five main drainage outlets run from Haripur Bridge to Boro Bazar Ghat, but many have become unusable after homes were built over them.

He says the matter has been raised with senior authorities, who have inspected the area, and measures to control dengue will be taken soon.