DGHS advises to test dengue of patients with COVID-19 symptoms

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Saturday advised the civil surgeons and upazila health and family planning officials to test dengue of suspected patients who will come with Covid-19 symptoms as both the diseases can have fever.

The district hospitals and upazila health complexes have been asked to keep a team ready at the dengue corner which was established last year.

National Malaria Elimination and Aedes-borne Disease Control Programme has supplied dengue kits to 64 districts. If there is any shortage of kit, the programme can supply or the health facilities can buy with their own funds.

The Covid-19 hotline at district and upazila should include the dengue issues. The information of dengue patients must be sent to the DGHS control room.

The meeting was chaired by Director General (Health) of DGHS Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad where Professor Dr Shahnila Ferdousi, director, Centre for Disease Control (CDC), DGHS was present.

Deputy Programme Manager of National Malaria Elimination Programme Dr. Afsana Alamgir Khan presented the keynote paper on dengue.