Staff Correspondent

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) is working to formulate short-term and long-term plans to check Dengue against the backdrop of a rise in the mosquito borne disease.

"We are working to prepare two separate short and long term plans to effectively fight the Dengue menace," Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Chief Health Officer (in-charge) Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir told this Correspondent today.

This year, the total number of Dengue cases rose to 69,456 while 337 deaths from dengue disease were reported till November 7, said a statement of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Thursday.

Last year, the country recorded 1,705 dengue-related deaths and a total of 3,21,179 dengue cases.

A six-member expert committee formed at the DSCC has been working to devise the plans to fight the city's dengue menaces in effective ways.

The committee held its maiden meeting around four weeks back and the experts were asked to place short-term and long-term plans to the DSCC, said Shamsul, also a member of the expert team.

"After reviewing the short and long term plans, we will take elaborate programmes to prevent dengue," he said.

Asked about the most dengue-prone areas under the DSCC, he said, they have found Demra and Kamrangirchar as the most affected areas.

But, he said the measures, taken by them alongside conducting regular anti-mosquito drives under the DNCC areas by its 1050 workers, would bring down the rate of infection by three to four percent a week.

Shamsul said the number of people infected with dengue disease under the DSCC areas is 4,106 and of them, 33 individuals died till November 6.

He said the number of infected people was five to six times higher than that of the exact number as the big hospitals like Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Sir Salimullah Medical College (previously Mitford Hospital), Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital and Mugda Hospital are under the DSCC jurisdiction and the people across Bangladesh come to these hospitals to take treatment.

Other five members of the DSCC expert committee are: DSCC Administrator (Additional Secretary) Md Nazrul Islam, Dhaka University (DU) Zoology Department Prof Dr Mohammad Firoz Alam, Chairman of the Department Prof Dr Shefali Begum, Medical Entomologist of DU Dr Tanjin Akter and DNCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Md Mizanur Rahman.

Another six-member expert team has also been formed at Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to work on how to prevent Dengue in the areas under its jurisdiction.

Led by DNCC administrator Md Mahmudul Hasan, the other members of the expert committee are: Dr Md Rashedul Islam, Chairman of Entomology Department, Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University, Prof Dr Golam Sarwar, Divisional Head of the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Md Rezaul Karim, Entomologist, Chief Health Officer Brig. General Imru-al-Quais and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mir Khairul Alam.

Talking to BSS Md Mahmudul Hasan, administrator of DNCC said, "The expert committee held its first meeting around two and a half weeks ago and we've got some suggestions from them to combat dengue in a more effective way. We want to use their expertise in finding an effective solution to dengue menace."

He said the experts have already recommended ensuring the use of standard and perfect doses of insecticides alongside conducting a separate survey on the mosquito-borne diseases along with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Mahmudu said that they have been continuing their regular larviciding and adulticiding operations under the DNCC area two times, in the morning and in the afternoon daily, on regular basis by 1000 workers.

The government formed the two expert committees at the DSCC and DNCC as part of the special measures to strengthen prevention activities amid an increase in the prevalence of dengue disease following a meeting with directives with LGRD and Cooperative Adviser A.F. Hassan Ariff on September 30 last.