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Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md Abdus Salam today said the government is giving top priority to the treatment of dengue patients and will soon take steps to bring a dengue vaccine to the country.
He made the remarks while addressing a shadow parliament session on “Measures to Prevent Dengue”, organised by Debate for Democracy (DFD) at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in Dhaka.
DFD Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran presided over the programme.
Salam stressed the importance of public awareness alongside government initiatives to curb the spread of dengue, saying government efforts alone would not be sufficient without people’s active participation.
He also said a proposal would be submitted to the prime minister to use fines collected during dengue prevention drives to support the families of underprivileged people who have died of the disease.
Identifying hawkers and auto-rickshaws as two major challenges in the city, the DSCC administrator said discussions were underway with hawkers and auto-rickshaw drivers to address the problems.
Speaking at the event, Kiran said dengue had become a year-round source of suffering, with infections continuing to rise across the country.
He highlighted the difficulties faced by lower- and middle-income families in meeting treatment costs, saying patients were being treated in hospital corridors and on floors.
Citing examples from developed countries, Kiran urged the government to introduce dengue vaccination as a preventive measure.
In the shadow parliament debate on “Public Awareness Is More Important Than Government Initiatives in Preventing Dengue”, the government team from Kabi Nazrul Government College defeated the opposition team from the same institution.
