Govt to import 50,000 kits in the face of acute scarcity
DGHS will take appropriate action against individuals attempting to create an artificial crisis of kits through unethical business practices, Dr Sanya said.
The hospitals and diagnostic centres are faced with acute scarcity of dengue test kits and reagents, used for diagnosis of dengue, as dengue patients have been crowding the hospitals and diagnosis centres in increased and increasing number.
To face the crisis, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has a plan to import 50,000 NS1 kits on an emergency basis this week. Besides, the WHO will give the government one lakh kits as grant.
Dr Sanya Tahmina, Director (Disease Control) at the DGHS, disclosed the information at a press conference on Wednesday noon. Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, Director at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), also spoke at the press conference.
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Dr Sanya Tahmina said, “As people have been getting affected by dengue in increased numbers, number of those coming to get their blood tested has also increased. This has resulted in an acute scarcity of re-agent and kits,” while adding that 50,000 kits are in the process of being imported this week; when the kits arrive, if necessary, some of those will be sent to upazila level, as well.
Dr Tahmina expressed her apprehension as to whether it would be possible to combat the crisis of kits and re-agents, if prevailing dengue situation lingers for two more months.
When asked concerning the DGHS’s preliminary preparation to face the dengue situation, Dr Sanya Tahmina said that DGHS bought 10,000 kits each year since the dengue menace came into existence in the country; however, this year 40,000 kits have already been procured, adding that this year dengue menace started before its usual season. As a result, the DGHS was not quite prepared for it.
DGHS will take appropriate action against individuals attempting to create an artificial crisis of kits through unethical business practices, Dr Sanya said.
Free Platelet separation in 4 govt hospitals
Many dengue patients require platelet. “From now on, platelet separation will be done free of cost at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Neurosciences Hospital, and National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD),” Dr Sanya Tahmina said.
However, to avail the opportunity the relatives of the patients will have to bring along blood donors.
She said, price for each platelet separation kit is Tk 12,000. Dr Sanya Tahmina further said, the DGHS have been working so that the private hospitals provide platelet separation service at low cost without making profit.
