Thirty-two people, suffering from dengue, were admitted to the Sadar Hospital in the last eight days until Monday night.
Twelve of them returned home after receiving treatment. Nineteen others are being treated at the intensive care unit while another patient, Ajay Saha, was shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
Since January 1, the total number of hospitalised dengue patients in the district is 34.
The authorities concerned of the hospital, particularly the physicians, were struggling to deal with the huge number of patients. The influx has put a serious strain on the dengue testing kits at the hospital but doctors say the patients are receiving proper treatment.
Dengue situation remains grim as Bangladesh struggles to control the largest outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease that has claimed at least 23 lives, according to government data. But unofficial estimates suggest the death toll is higher.
The sheer number of patients – more than 30,000 since January 1 – and deaths created panic among the people, particularly the residents of Dhaka which is at the centre of the outbreak. People are rushing to hospitals and clinics in the capital and elsewhere to have dengue tested, putting serious strain on the already overwhelmed medical system.