Questions have been raised about the recent visit of four government officials and a ward councilor to Germany to acquire skills in operating mosquito fogger machine.
These officers and ward councilors of Dhaka North City Corporation went to Germany for training on August 17-23. There they trained at Pulsfog, a manufacturer of thermal fogger machine. Although these officers and ward councilors are not directly involved in the Mashanidhana process.
An office order of the LGD ministry said that the travel expenses were borne by the German company. Recently, DNCC has purchased 100 fogging machines from Pulsfog, said a DNCC official.
Sources said the purpose of the visit was to train those involved in DNCC’s anti-mosquito operation and operation of the newly purchased fogger machine.
The officers sent for training are the Deputy Secretary of LGD. Nure Alam, DNCC Deputy Secretary & Chief Store & Purchase Officer Ramendra Nath Biswas, Deputy Secretary & DNCC Zonal Executive Officer (Zone-2) Ziaur Rahman, DNCC Deputy Secretary & Zonal Executive Officer (Zone-5) Motakabbir Ahmed and DNCC Zone 3 Sprayman Supervisor Ahsan Habib According to the office order signed by LGD Ministry Deputy Secretary Pintu Bepari, DNCC Ward Councilor No. 32, Syed Hasan Noor Islam, was with the officials.
Training for Fogger Machine Operators is Crucial
The overseas training comes at a time when the country is grappling with a record outbreak of Aedes mosquito-borne dengue. Renowned entomologist and Jahangirnagar University professor Kabirul Bashar told The Daily Star yesterday, ‘There is no point in sending bureaucrats for training. The training could have been done in Dhaka instead of Germany.’
He said it would have been more logical if DNCC’s fogger machine operators, entomologists, and health officials, including those directly involved in Aedes eradication operations, were sent for training.
The former director of the disease control unit of the Department of Health. Be-Nazir Ahmed said that those who were sent were not correct at all. Entomologists should have been sent for training. He also said that the fogger machine is used to kill Culex mosquitoes. Entomologists could have contributed better if they had been trained.
When contacted, Pintu Bepari, who signed the office order, said, ‘I have given the letter as per instructions. So I can’t comment on this.’ DNCC Chief Executive Officer Salim Reza declined to comment on the rationale for sending bureaucrats for training.
Meanwhile, according to the information provided by the Department of Health, 16 people have died of dengue in the last 24 hours until Sunday morning, of whom 8 are from Dhaka. With this, the total number of deaths due to dengue stood at 634, of which 464 were outside Dhaka.
In the last 24 hours, 2608 dengue patients have been admitted to various hospitals across the country, of which 892 are from Dhaka. With this, the total number of dengue patients increased to 1 lakh, 30 thousand, and 302 people. Among them, 60,484 people are in Dhaka. At present, 8 thousand 845 dengue patients are under treatment in various hospitals across the country, of which 3 thousand 928 are in Dhaka.
