DOT Desk: People are suffering as the authorities at Manikganj 250-bed General Hospital have yet to collect dengue testing kits in the last week. For this, the residents are forced to pay six times for dengue tests from private hospitals or clinics. The government reduced the dengue test fee from Tk100 to Tk50 in a circular issued on June 12. But the private healthcare centres charge Tk300, reports TBS.
Hospital sources said they had 1,000 kits at the beginning of the dengue outbreak this year, but they ran out by last today. Kazi Md Yunus Ali, in-charge of the Pathology Department of the hospital, said that they need around 100 kits every day. According to the health authorities, 33 new dengue patients were identified in Manikganj in the last 24 hours till yesterday. With this, a total of 915 dengue patients were identified in the district this year. Currently, 155 people are receiving treatment in various hospitals in the district. Of them, 53 are admitted to Colonel Maleque Medical College Hospital and 49 in Manikganj Sadar Hospital. Manikganj General Hospital Superintendent Dr Bahauddin admitted the fact that there are no kits, which is causing problems in providing medical care to the affected patients.