A total of 13 students among 168 of the university have been marked as dengue positive on the first day of the installation of a dengue detection machine in Dhaka University’s Medical Centre (DUMC).
The students were provided with a free test to know their platelet count from their blood samples on Wednesday.
“Both the blood platelet count and dengue identification can be done here for students free of cost. The daily capacity of the device is 150. It is operated by the Bangladesh Association of Clinical Biochemists,” said DUMC Chief Medical Officer Dr Sarwar Jahan Muttafi.
Acknowledging the lack of sufficient numbers of dengue testing devices at the centre, Dr Sarwar said: “We will start our service for the students from 8am every day. Students are perhaps unhappy with our services due to excessive pressure in the medical centre.”
The dengue detection device was brought to the DUMC on Sunday amid growing dengue-panic in the university campus. A draft count by the university students claimed that around 150 students are suffering from dengue staying on campus.
Most of them are first year students and staying in rooms of the dormitories. General students along with leftist student wing Bangladesh Chhatra Union DU chapter demanded that the campus be shut down to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof M Akhtaruzzaman said: “Dengue and floods has spread across the country. How can we leave our students in such a situation as we are their present guardians?”
