Corruption in the healthcare sector, characterised by single-bidding in open tendering, monopoly in insecticide procurement, supply of substandard products, and import and use of unregistered pesticides in mosquito prevention programmes without adequate testing, has resulted in a significant surge in mortality rates.
The findings of a report titled ‘Dengue Crisis Prevention and Control: Governance Challenges and Way Forward’ were disclosed at a press conference organised by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) at its Dhanmondi office in Dhaka on Monday.
Md Julkarnayeen, senior research fellow of TIB, made the keynote presentation and Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, was also present at the conference.
The report showed artificial scarcity of intravenous saline and inadequate dengue testing facilities outside Dhaka amidst the ongoing dengue outbreak in Bangladesh.
A section of unscrupulous traders have inflated the prices of saline by creating an artificial crisis, it said.
Intravenous saline, which is essential for treating dengue patients, is being sold at 5-6 times higher than its price while dengue testing kits are in short supply in many hospitals and clinics. This is putting a heavy financial burden on dengue patients and their families, especially those who are unable to afford private healthcare.
The cost of treating a critical dengue patient in a government hospital is around Tk 7,142 per day while the cost of treatment in a private hospital, including ICU, can range from Tk 70,000 to Tk 80,000 per day.
Due to inadequate medical services in government hospitals, many people are forced to seek treatment from private hospitals, which is almost 10 times more expensive.
The report also showed that due to corruption and other vulnerable activities, the dengue death toll has risen higher for the last few years.
In 2023, the number of dengue patients increased to 240,097 in Bangladesh while the figure was 2,569,746 in Brazil. But among the countries with the highest number of dengue cases, Bangladesh ranks first in terms of the death rate.
The death rate is 0.5 per cent in Bangladesh while it is 0.04 per cent in Brazil. In Bangladesh, the dengue death rate is close to that of the coronavirus death rate of 1.4 per cent.
Government hospitals fixed Tk 50 for dengue test and private diagnostic centres Tk 300. But some private diagnostic centres are taking extra charges. Although IEDCR has cooperated with some hospitals in previous years for dengue detection, they have not been involved this year.
Iftekharuzzaman said they warned the government in last June that dengue had become ‘public health emergency’. “The situation gets worse as the government didn’t take any steps.”
World Health Organization (WHO) formulated the ‘Global Vector Control Response 2017-30’ strategy to control dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases worldwide. “But due to lack of proper action planning, projects are taken in our country only to show people. In this case, the corona experience was not used.”
According to the data available from Director General of Health Services (DGHS), the number of dengue cases is about 261,000 while the number of deaths was 1,295 as of October 25. Experts, however, claimed that the actual number of dengue 0cases is 10 times higher than the official figure.
TIB has put forward 21 recommendations, including formulation of ‘national integrated vector management plan, short, medium and long-term action plan, formation of a ‘national committee on dengue prevention, investigation into irregularities and corruption, providing training to persons concerned, identification and monitoring hotspots or risk areas, setting up of dedicated diagnostic centres, and adopting integrated activities and environmentally-friendly methods.
