Sittwe: Three children died with dengue fever in Arakan State within the first week of August, according to a report of the journal Weekly Eleven.

Among the victims are two children from Sittwe, the capital of Arakan, and another child from Kyaukpru, the second largest city in the state.

The number of dengue fever infections in Arakan State was up to 329 within the first week of August, the government health department is quoted as saying.

The towns of Sittwe and Kyaukpru have been most affected by dengue, but other areas in Arakan State have also seen the number of people falling ill with dengue twice what it was last year.

According to a local source, the medical facilities for dengue fever patients are very poor in Arakan State. At the same time, many hospitals are facing a shortage of medicine to treat the illness.

The condition of affected children in rural areas of the state is most serious due to lack of treatment and medicine. In addition to a lack of medicine, patients have not been receiving treatment from hospitals systematically.

A medical doctor from Sittwe said the number of dengue fever patients in Arakan State may be higher than the reported figure of 329 because in some rural areas it is difficult to get an accurate count due to lack of communications.

Many poor families in Arakan State can not send their dengue affected children to the hospitals because the fees for medical treatment in Arakan is more than they can afford.