Photo : Collected
The country's healthcare system is at crossroads of multiple challenges now as it struggles to deal with the dengue outbreak with other viral fevers and waterborne diseases only adding to the woes of people by making the situation even more troubling.
Public health experts have been advising to be careful while taking water, liquid, and other openly displayed food from streets to rein in the unwanted outbreak of flu, cold, and influenza as these can be sources of water-borne diseases like cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, and gastrointestinal diseases.
According to data from various hospitals, it has been found that at least 30 to 40 percent of outdoor patients have been suffering from viral fever.
Although there is a prevalence of other viral diseases, those could not overshadow the menace of dengue. Health experts, therefore, advised to remain more cautious regarding dengue.
While talking to The Daily Messenger, Prime Minister’s personal physician Professor Dr ABM Abdullah said that people have to be more careful about dengue in view of the severity of the outbreak.
He expressed his fear of the increased mosquito population with the excessive rainfall in this monsoon.
He said that the virus is common for all the diseases like dengue, flu, influenza, and cold.
Besides, people are falling sick with viral flu and cold due to extreme air pollution in Dhaka. Moreover, people take water, juice, sugarcane juice, and other street foods, which also cause virus and bacteria-borne diseases.
Dr. Abdullah suggested avoiding open street foods, and liquid drinks and taking preventive measures to avert such diseases. He also suggested taking a doctor’s advice in case of a serious condition.
Echoing Professor Abdullah, former Chief Scientific Officer at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Be-Nazir Ahmed said that dengue is the major concern at the moment and most of the patients are suffering from critical dengue. Most of the cases are in Dhaka and the majority of the cases are complicated which is alarming.
It is now the influenza season which prevails from April to August, said Be-Nazir Ahmed, adding, normal flu, influenza, and cold are common in this season. There is nothing to worry about except for those who have asthma and elderly people. Because they can be infected with pneumonia from influenza if timely measures are not taken.
Dr. Be-Nazir suggested taking the influenza vaccine every year in April. Besides, people should take care of hot and cold weather to avoid cold during summer. They should wipe the sweat from the neck and chest to avoid cold, he suggested.
According to Public Health Expert Dr. Lelin Choudhury, in the monsoon, all the water supply lines become submerged and sewerage water enters the water supply lines. It pollutes water and people become affected with various water-borne diseases and cold allergies due to rain and weather change. People also become sick due to air pollution.
Regarding measures to keep safe from dengue, everyone should focus on mosquito control, use mosquito nets, and spray. To prevent water-borne diseases, he recommended boiling or filtering water and avoiding open street foods and liquids.
TDM/AM
