Tk 50,000 spent for each dengue patient on average

The government has spent Tk 4.0 billion so far on the treatment of dengue patients this year, according to Health Minister Zahid Maleque.

During a meeting on dengue management on Sunday in Dhaka, the minister said, “Tk 50,000 is being spent for each patient on an average.”

According to the minister, 70 per cent of the patients have been receiving treatment at government facilities, where the treatment cost is free and test fees have been halved to Tk 50, reports bdnews24.com.

“Still, there is not a single incident of any patient dying due to a lack of treatment. We are trying to treat everyone,” he said.

“Although 65 per cent of the patients are male, female patients account for 65 per cent of the death toll,” he pointed out.

He believes women seeking hospital care after a delay is the reason behind the high fatality rate among them.

The minister said the government was working to tackle a shortage of saline solutions amid the outbreak, by asking local firms to increase production and importers to bring more products from abroad.