Health minister blames local government's failure to control mosquitoes for rising dengue cases

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque has drawn attention to the critical need of effective mosquito control measures in order to combat the rising number of dengue cases in the country. 

While speaking at an event at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Tuesday (12 September), Minister Zahid Maleque insisted that government hospitals are fully equipped to treat dengue patients, and urged local governments and city corporations to step up their efforts in mosquito control. 

"We are doing everything within our capacity to provide treatment for dengue patients. However, the responsibility for mosquito control falls on local governments and city corporations. If they fulfill their duty to control mosquitoes effectively, we can reduce the number of dengue cases," he said. 

Stressing that the primary focus should be on reducing the mosquito population, the health minister asserted that it would be challenging to lower the number of dengue patients without a significant reduction in mosquito bites. 

While addressing the urgency of the situation, the minister pointed out that dengue has now spread across all 64 districts of Bangladesh, with approximately 3,000 new cases reported daily. 

He called for immediate action to identify and destroy breeding sites for Aedes mosquitoes, while suggesting the regular use of pesticides in areas prone to infestations, such as drainage systems and residential areas. 

While addressing concerns about the availability of medical supplies, the Health Minister assured the public that there is no shortage of saline in government hospitals, and additional imports have been arranged to meet any increases in demand.