Govt hospitals lack platelet kits amid dengue outbreak

Shortage and rising costs

In a letter to the Health Services Division on 28 September, the DGHS warned that dengue cases were increasing and some patients urgently needed platelet apheresis. However, government hospitals had no supply of the required kits.

According to the letter, 22 government medical colleges and specialised hospitals have 28 operational apheresis machines. Of these, 17 hospitals had submitted requirements for 17,874 kits for the current dengue season.

The DGHS said the shortage was forcing patients at government hospitals to purchase the kits from outside, placing an additional financial burden on lower- and middle-income families.

At private hospitals and blood banks, collecting one unit of platelets through apheresis costs between Tk22,000 and Tk25,000. The Red Crescent Blood Bank charges Tk25,400 for the procedure, compared with Tk2,700 at government hospitals.

A physician at the Department of Transfusion Medicine at Cumilla Medical College Hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TBS that even the Tk2,700 charged for platelet apheresis at government hospitals was difficult for many patients to afford.

“Most patients are so poor that arranging even Tk2,700 becomes difficult for them,” the physician said.

Procurement may miss dengue season

On 1 November, the Health Services Division instructed the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) to take immediate steps to purchase 20,000 platelet apheresis kits for treating dengue patients and people with other serious illnesses.

The CMSD was allocated Tk300 crore for medical and surgical supplies in the 2026-27 fiscal year. According to the Health Services Division, the funds remain unspent, and the kits are to be purchased from this allocation.

In a written response to The Business Standard, CMSD Director Mohammad Shafiur Rahman said procurement had been initiated following instructions from the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

He said the kits could be procured and distributed within three to four months in accordance with government procurement rules.

However, with dengue cases typically declining from December, the kits are unlikely to reach government hospitals in time to benefit patients requiring platelet apheresis during the current dengue season.

Asked why the kits had not been purchased earlier despite the outbreak, Rahman said they were not used in ordinary dengue cases but were required in severe cases.

He added that platelet apheresis kits had previously been purchased by the Hospitals and Clinics Branch of the DGHS.

When platelets are needed

Doctors say not every dengue patient with a low platelet count requires a transfusion. The decision depends on the patient’s condition, signs of bleeding and other clinical factors.

Professor Shahnoor Sarmin of the Department of Medicine at Dhaka Medical College Hospital told TBS that the use of platelet transfusions in dengue treatment had declined.

She said very few dengue patients had received platelet transfusions in the hospital’s three medicine units this year. Platelets were used in certain complicated cases, including some patients requiring dialysis, depending on their condition.

Meanwhile, six more people died of dengue and 1,866 patients were admitted to hospitals across the country in the 24 hours until 8am on 4 November, according to the DGHS.

The deaths took this year’s toll to 445, while total hospital admissions reached 142,775.

October recorded the highest monthly dengue death toll this year. Although the monsoon has ended, experts say the risk of infection remains through November, making it necessary to ensure adequate medical supplies and blood components at hospitals.

Needed beyond dengue

The Health Services Division’s letter also highlighted the need for platelet apheresis kits in treating patients with other serious medical conditions.

Platelet transfusions may be needed for patients with severe bleeding following accidents, certain blood-clotting disorders, cancer, aplastic anaemia, blood cancers and low platelet counts caused by chemotherapy.

Platelet apheresis allows a relatively large quantity of platelets to be collected from a single donor for patients who require transfusions.

Slow health spending

The shortage comes amid longstanding concerns over delays in utilising allocated funds in the health sector.

According to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), the Health Services Division spent only 1.78% of its Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocation during the first three months of the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Against an allocation of Tk6,014 crore, expenditure from July to September stood at just Tk107 crore.

Apart from development projects under the health ministry’s two divisions, substantial block allocations have also remained unutilised.

Although concerns persist over inadequate healthcare funding, delays in planning, procurement and implementation have prevented allocated funds from being used on time.

Health experts say hospitals must assess their requirements, initiate tenders and ensure supplies well before seasonal outbreaks.

They warn that delays in purchasing essential medical equipment until infections have already increased can leave patients facing higher treatment costs and difficulties accessing care.