Dengue Discount Drive: Health Minister Calls for Up to 80% Diagnostic Cost Cut
To make dengue treatment more affordable for ordinary patients, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat has urged private hospitals and clinics to offer special concessions. He said that discounts of up to 80 percent should be provided on various diagnostic tests for dengue patients.
The minister made the announcement while briefing journalists after an important discussion meeting on dengue prevention, treatment, and clinical guidelines at the conference room of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Secretariat on Tuesday (June 2).
He stated that constructive discussions had been held with private hospital authorities to reduce the financial burden on dengue patients.
According to the proposal, if a patient’s diagnostic expenses amount to Tk 10,000, a discount of up to Tk 8,000 is being seriously considered. However, the treatment costs for patients suffering from Hemorrhagic Dengue and other complicated conditions will be determined based on medical advice and the severity of individual cases.
Regarding the current dengue situation, the minister said that only a limited number of cases have been identified across the country so far. He added that the government has taken comprehensive preparations to keep the situation fully under control.
“The government's goal is to keep dengue infections at zero level. However, since it is not possible to make advance predictions, the situation is being closely monitored and reviewed on a daily basis,” he said.
For this year’s dengue season, the use of ICT-based monitoring systems and enhanced coordination at the field level are being strengthened. Regular virtual meetings are being held with divisional commissioners, city corporations, and district administrations across the country, and similar coordination meetings will soon be extended to the upazila level.
At the same time, training programs for physicians based on updated clinical guidelines are being intensified. Acknowledging that regular “death reviews” of dengue-related fatalities had not been conducted at the desired level in recent years, the minister said special initiatives have been undertaken this year to strengthen the analytical capacity of the Disease Control Division of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
He also noted that although the effectiveness of mosquito-control insecticides has been verified in laboratories, allegations of irregularities in field-level spraying operations have emerged. These issues, he said, will be addressed through strict monitoring and oversight.
Describing dengue prevention as a social movement, the minister announced that a nationwide awareness mega-campaign will begin next Saturday. Simultaneous rallies, public announcements, courtyard meetings, community gatherings, and cultural programs will be organized in Dhaka North and South City Corporations as well as in all divisional and district headquarters across the country.
The nationwide awareness campaign will continue for the next three months.
The meeting was attended by the State Minister for Health, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant, the Health Secretary, senior officials of the health administration, and representatives from the Bangladesh Society of Medicine, the Bangladesh Private Medical Hospital, Clinic and Diagnostic Association, and the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association.
DBTech/DPO/MUIM/OR
