Photo: BSS

KHULNA, June 16, 2025 (BSS) – The Administrator of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and Khulna Divisional Commissioner here today (Monday) stressed the need for raising public awareness to prevent outbreak of dengue and Covid-19.  

In this connection, he also stressed on ensuring extensive media coverage to this end.

“Committees formed to combat coronavirus must be reactivated and hospital wards should be prepared in advance,” he said while taking part at a discussion on "Preventive Measures for Dengue and COVID-19" as the chief guest here. 

Khulna Divisional Commissioner’s Office and the Divisional Health Directorate jointly organized the meeting.

He stressed that awareness is the key to preventing the coronavirus. All government departments need to be informed and instructed accordingly. 

Everyone must wear masks when going outside and keep their surroundings including cleaning of drains. Plans are underway to distribute precautionary leaflets at educational institutions, he said.

He added, “District and upazila administrations will also be informed about the measures taken to this end.”

With Acting Divisional Director of Health Dr Md. Mujibur Rahman in the chair, among others, Additional Divisional Commissioner (Education & ICT) Debprasad Pal, Principal of Khulna Medical College Hospital Prof Dr Md. Golam Masud, Director of the Khulna Specialized Hospital Dr. Sheikh Abu Shahin, principals and directors of public and private medical colleges, government officials, and representatives of development partners took part in the discussion.

Dr Aparna Biswas, Assistant Director of the Health Directorate, presented an overview on dengue, while Dr S.M. Shahriar, also an Assistant Director, presented insights on COVID-19 at the event.

The meeting highlighted that the number of dengue cases in the Khulna Division has been increasing in 2025. As of June 10, a total of 162 patients have been diagnosed across the division, with two reported deaths.
Key symptoms of dengue include high fever, intense headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, reddish skin rash, extreme fatigue, and weakness. 

Preventive measures include using mosquito nets during rest, applying mosquito repellents, wearing light-coloured and full-body clothing, and eliminating standing water every three days from flowerpots, refrigerator trays, discarded tyres, coconut shells, plastic bottles, and other containers. 

The meeting also addressed symptoms of the new COVID-19 variants, including joint pain, headache, sore throat, back pain, pneumonia, and loss of appetite. 

Preventive measures include avoiding public gatherings, maintaining a three-foot distance from infected individuals, and wearing masks. People should cover their noses and mouth when sneezing or coughing, wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer.

Later, another meeting was held at Shaheed Altaf Auditorium of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) on actions to be taken for dengue control and COVID-19 prevention within the KCC area. 

KCC Administrator and Khulna Divisional Commissioner Md. Firoz Sarkar presided over the meeting.

The Administrator emphasized that KCC must operate at its highest capacity to protect citizens from dengue. Ward-level committees on dengue and COVID-19 need to be activated and larvicidal and adulticidal spraying must be ensured in targeted areas. 

“If necessary, knowledge-sharing with relevant branches of Dhaka North and South City Corporations should be sought. Priority should be given to high-risk wards in fogger machine spraying operations,” he viewed.

The meeting acknowledged that the new coronavirus variant is significantly more contagious than previous ones. 

Regular mask-wearing, avoiding crowds, thorough hand washing upon returning home, and avoiding touching the face with unclean hands are crucial to prevent spread of coronavirus. Infected individuals should be kept isolated from healthy people.

KCC’s Chief Executive Officer Laskar Tajul Islam, Secretary Sharif Asif Rahman, Acting Chief Engineer Moshiuzzaman Khan, Chief Revenue Officer Rahima Sultana Bushra, Chief Waste Officer Kohinur Jahan, Member Secretary of Khulna Press Club Rafiqul Islam Tutul, government officials, NGO representatives, and members of civil society, among others, attended the meeting.