Home
+
Published : 16 Sep 2025, 01:52 PM
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued a set of 12 emergency directives for the treatment of dengue as the mosquito-borne disease continues to spread across the country.
The instructions were sent on Tuesday to directors of all medical colleges and specialised hospitals, superintendents of district Sadar hospitals, as well as civil surgeons and Upazila health and family welfare officers.
Dr Abu Hussain Md Moinul Ahsan, director of hospitals and clinics at the health services directorate, sent the letter outlining the instructions.
“Recently, dengue cases and deaths have increased. Five people died yesterday. Therefore, these instructions have been given to ensure proper treatment,” he told bdnews24.com.
The instructions are:
1. Urgent NS1 testing of patients, with hospitals directed to contact the Central Medical Stores Depot or the Communicable Disease Control unit for NS1 or antigen kits.
2. Hospitals must ensure that all necessary tests are available for admitted patients.
3. Supplies of medicines and other materials needed for dengue treatment are to be maintained at all times.
4. Patients admitted with the disease are to be housed in designated wards or rooms.
5. Hospitals are instructed to form boards that include specialists in medicine, pediatrics and other relevant fields to oversee the treatment of admitted dengue and chikungunya patients. Teams of medical officers, residents and trainee doctors will work under these boards to provide care exclusively to those patients.
6. Outpatient cases suspected of having dengue or chikungunya are to be treated in designated rooms under the supervision of specialists.
7. If intensive care is required, hospitals with ICU facilities are instructed to prioritise dengue patients.
8. Each hospital must assign a nurse to manage and send patient information.
9. In the event of a death, hospitals must report preliminary details to the hospital director or supervisor, as well as to the health directorate, within six hours. A full report is required within 24 hours.
10. Superintendents have been directed to request that city corporations or municipal authorities keep hospital grounds clean and carry out mosquito control measures.
11. Dengue coordination meetings are to be held every Saturday morning, led by hospital directors, superintendents or civil surgeons.
12. Other district hospitals may implement the same measures if needed.
According to the DGHS, dengue has killed 155 people so far this year.
The total number of infections has risen to 38,527.
