Health Minister calls for 80% discount on dengue treatment costs

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat has urged private hospitals to take special measures to reduce the cost of treatment for dengue patients, including offering up to an 80 percent discount on diagnostic tests.

Speaking to journalists after a meeting on dengue prevention, treatment and clinical guidelines at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the minister said discussions were underway with private healthcare providers to ease the financial burden on patients on Tuesday (June 2).

"We want dengue patients to receive up to an 80 percent reduction in the cost of various medical tests. We are also discussing the possibility of waiving doctors' consultation fees and providing other forms of assistance," he said.

The meeting was attended by the state minister for health, the prime minister's special assistant, the health secretary, officials of the Directorate General of Health Services, and representatives from the Bangladesh Society of Medicine, the Bangladesh Private Medical Hospital, Clinic and Diagnostic Association, and the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association.

The minister explained that if a dengue patient's diagnostic tests normally cost Tk 10,000, a discount of up to Tk 8,000 could be considered. However, treatment plans for patients suffering from severe forms of dengue, including hemorrhagic dengue, would be determined based on medical advice.

He also stressed the need to strengthen the disease control wing of the health directorate to improve dengue surveillance and monitoring.

According to the minister, health authorities have long discussed conducting regular and detailed reviews of dengue-related deaths, but progress has been insufficient. He said efforts would be made to enhance institutional capacity for more accurate and consistent analysis of dengue fatalities.

Asked about the current dengue situation, Sardar Md. Sakhawat said a number of cases had already been detected, but the government was fully prepared to keep the situation under control.

"We want dengue cases to remain at zero. It is difficult to predict what may happen, but we are reviewing the situation every day," he said.

The minister added that regular virtual meetings are being held with divisional commissioners, divisional directors, city corporations and district administrations across the country. Coordination meetings will also be conducted at the upazila level through civil surgeons. Professional medical organizations have already begun training healthcare workers in districts and sub-districts.

Responding to a question about the effectiveness of mosquito-control insecticides, he said laboratory testing had confirmed the efficacy of the products currently in use and claimed that internationally recognized, high-quality insecticides were being deployed.

However, he acknowledged reports of irregularities in field-level spraying operations.

"In some cases, excessive amounts of kerosene may be mixed with insecticides during spraying. City corporations have been instructed to strengthen monitoring to prevent such practices," he said.

To boost public awareness, the minister announced the launch of a nationwide dengue prevention campaign beginning Saturday. Awareness rallies will be held simultaneously in Dhaka North and South city corporations as well as in divisional and district headquarters across the country.

The campaign will also include public announcements, awareness drives, courtyard meetings, community gatherings and cultural programs aimed at increasing public participation in dengue prevention efforts.

Describing dengue prevention as a collective responsibility, the minister said a nationwide awareness movement would continue for the next three months.