Noman Mosharef :
A growing number of medics are getting infected with coronavirus, raising question whether they are getting the proper protective equipment to deal with infected patients.
Infected doctors are mostly working at the public hospitals.
Over 170 doctors have been infected with coronavirus so far in the country, according to a tally of Bangladesh Doctors Foundation, an organisation of doctors.
The authorities of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital on Monday confirmed that 42 doctors and health workers of their hospital tested Covid-19 positive.
“Among them, 23 are doctors, 10 are nurses and nine are health staff,” the hospital’s Director Brigadier General Kazi Md Rashid Un Nabi, told the media.
The hospital conducted tests on 69 health workers on Saturday after 22 tested positive last Thursday and Friday, the hospital’s Director said.
On Sunday, 13 doctors and seven nurses tested positive, taking the total to 42, he said.
“All the health workers who were involved in the surgery of a patient last week tested positive for the virus,” Brigadier General Rashid said adding that a patient hid information, leading to infection of the doctors.
An official at the hospital said two of the doctors and two nurses are undergoing treatment at Kurmitola General Hospital, one nurse at Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital and 2-3 health workers at Dhaka Mohanagar General Hospital in Babu Bazar. Those who have no visible symptoms of the virus infection have been put under home- quarantine.
Earlier, three doctors of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College (SBMC) in Barishal tested positive with the novel coronavirus and a doctor at Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Hospital in Dhaka was infected with the virus.
Doctors blamed the standard of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and masks as a factor behind increased incidence of the
infection among healthcare workers.
“It is alarming that the number of infected doctors has reached 170. If the number continues to rise in this way, there will be no doctors left to treat patients,” said Nirupam Das, Chief Administrator of the foundation.
He said most of the doctors infected were in Dhaka and Narayanganj-two major clusters of community transmission of the Covid-19.
Dr Nirupam also said more than 300 healthcare professionals are currently in home-quarantine.
A doctor of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, who was infected with the virus, died at Kurmitola General Hospital on Wednesday of last week.
Besides, at least 57 nurses were infected while 270 others are in quarantine across the country. Of the infected, 31 are from government hospitals while 26 are from private hospital and healthcare service centres, according to the Bangladesh Basic Graduate Nurses’ Society.
Meanwhile, 6 physicians among 23 test positive in kishoreganj, reports our Kishoreganj Correspondent.
