Dengue surge puts Narayanganj hospitals under strain, patients being treated on floors, verandas
A surge in dengue cases has put Narayanganj hospitals under mounting pressure, with patients being treated on floors and verandas amid a shortage of beds.
Azharul Islam, 31, of Kuripara in Bandar, came to Narayanganj General (Victoria) Hospital when his wife was admitted for delivery. He later contracted dengue and has been receiving treatment on the veranda of the hospital's dengue ward for the past three days.
Mashiur Rahman of the Deobhog Madrasah area has also been receiving treatment on the floor of the veranda for three days.
"There are no beds available in the ward, so I am staying on the floor of the veranda. It is inconvenient and very hot, but there is no other option — I have to get treated," he said.
During a visit to the hospital on Thursday, at least 10 dengue patients were found receiving treatment on the ward's verandas and floors.
Nurses said new dengue patients are being admitted every day, while some recover and return home. Currently, 23 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Hospital sources said 193 dengue patients were admitted in September, compared to 119 in August and 35 in July. A total of 376 dengue patients have received treatment at the hospital so far this year.
Dr Nazmul Hasan Bipul, the hospital's resident medical officer, said the number of dengue patients is currently very high and the hospital has no enough beds to accommodate them.
"Despite this, arrangements are being made on verandas and floors to admit and treat critically ill patients," he said.
Nazmul said people are contracting dengue outside the traditional dengue season in recent years, with inadequate use of mosquito nets and a lack of public awareness contributing to the spread.
Other government hospitals in the district were also struggling to cope with a surge in dengue patients.
According to the District Civil Surgeon's Office, 33 new dengue cases were reported in Narayanganj in the 24 hours till Thursday morning.
As of September 29, a total of 2,387 dengue cases have been recorded in the district, compared to 2,398 cases for the whole of 2025.
Officially, no dengue-related death has been recorded in Narayanganj this year.
However, several Narayanganj residents have reportedly died while receiving treatment at hospitals in Dhaka, and those deaths were not included in the district's official dengue mortality figures.
Abu Siddique, 58, a chainman at the Rupganj Upazila Land Office and a resident of Bandar, reportedly died in Dhaka on August 28 while undergoing treatment for dengue, according to media reports.
Two women from Sonakanda Chowdhurypara in Ward 21 of Narayanganj City Corporation have also reportedly died after contracting dengue.
One of them, Asha Begum, was initially treated at Khanpur Hospital in Narayanganj. Her condition later deteriorated and she died while being taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, her family said.
Meanwhile, Dr Sheikh Mostafa Ali, a medical officer of the NCC, has contracted dengue and is receiving treatment at home.
Dr Nafia Islam, another NCC medical officer, said regular mosquito-control drives, insecticide spraying and awareness campaigns are being conducted across the city.
Authorities are also conducting enforcement drives and imposing fines.
Civil Surgeon Dr SM Sakhawat Hossain said the nationwide rise in dengue cases has put pressure on hospitals.
"Victoria Hospital has 100 beds, so it is not possible to provide beds for all the patients. However, medical care cannot be stopped because of this. We are trying to treat patients in whatever way possible," he said.
He urged people to remain vigilant against dengue, stressing that prevention requires both government action and public awareness.
Nationwide, four people died of dengue and 1,978 new patients were admitted to hospitals in the 24 hours till 8:00am on Thursday.
With the latest deaths, the dengue death toll rose to 249 in the country this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Since January 1, a total of 81,598 dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals across the country, of whom 75,699 have recovered.
Source: UNB