Shawdesh desk:

The High Court Division on Thursday gave Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation four more days until July 30 to eradicate aedes mosquitos from the capital.

In a verbal order, a bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader directed the government to submit report on Monday what steps had been taken by the Health Services to prevent private hospitals from charging exorbitant fees for diagnosis of dengue patients.

The court also directed the health ministry to open a cell to monitor whether or not the government hospital were providing free treatment to dengue patients.

The bench adjourned the hearing until Monday to pass orders on the issue of charging exorbitant fees by private hospitals.

A separate bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Shohrowardi gave four day to the two city corporations to submit report about their simultaneous fumigation more than twice every day throughout the capital by augmenting the anti-mosquito insecticide dose.

The two city corporations submitted that simultaneous fumigations were needed to prevent mosquitos escaping from place to place.

The city corporation sought at least one month’s time for import ‘effective insecticides’.

At least 32 people including Habiganj civil surgeon Shahadat Hossain Hazra died of dengue infection since January.

On Thursday, at least 23 dengue patients were hospitalized per hour in the capital alone, according to the government’s health emergency operation centre control room.

Health experts said that the number of dengue patients hospitalized in the capital every hour ‘would be much higher’.

The city corporations also submitted that after dengue infection became epidemic it was the government’s responsibility, and not theirs, to tackle the crisis.

Responding to summons, DNCC’s chief health officer brigadier general Momimur Rahman Mamun and DSCC chief health officer brigadier general Sharif Ahmed submitted reports about various awareness activities they had undertaken.

On July 14 the same bench in a suo moto rule asked the government and the two mayors to stamp out aedes mosquitos in 24 hours.

On July 22, the court gave the respondents time until July 25 to eradicate the mosquitos.

Sayed Ahmed Raza and M Toufiq Inam Tipu appeared for the two corporations.