Free dengue NS1 tests available in government hospitals

The government has introduced free NS1 tests in government hospitals for the diagnosis of dengue. 

The Health Ministry has announced that this facility will continue until 31 December. 

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has been instructed to take the necessary measures to implement this decision. 

The implementation of the directive has already started. Director of the Hospitals unit of the DGHS, Mainul Ahsan, confirmed the information to Daily Samakal. 

He stated that the NS1 test is being conducted free of cost in government hospitals from Sunday, July 5. 

A notification regarding the matter was issued on Saturday by the Government Health Management-1 Unit of the Health Services Division. It stated that, with the consent of the Finance Department of the Ministry of Finance, necessary measures must be taken to make the NS1 test free of cost in government hospitals for dengue diagnosis until December 31 this year. 

The notification directed the DGHS to take immediate necessary measures and mentioned that appropriate administrative steps would be taken to ensure free testing facilities in the concerned hospitals. 

The notification, signed by Deputy Secretary of the Health Services Division Kazi Sharif Uddin Ahmed, explained that as a result of this decision, patients coming to government hospitals with dengue symptoms will be able to undergo NS1 tests without any fee. This will facilitate rapid diagnosis of the disease and enable timely treatment. 

The government has taken this initiative to make dengue diagnosis easier and faster amid the current increase in cases across the country. Health experts have noted that conducting the NS1 test at the beginning of fever plays an effective role in detecting dengue, allowing quicker initiation of patient treatment.