Staff Reporter :
Chinese team of medical experts, who left Dhaka on Monday ending a two- week visit to Bangladesh, has expressed disappointment over public unawareness, less testing facilities and shortages of doctors to restrain the coronavirus spreading.
“The Chinese team expressed their anxiety saying that as a densely populated country, the people of Bangladesh are not aware enough about the spreading of the dangerous virus. People from different class are found very unaware of it,” Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and a Member of the National Technical Advisory Committee of Covid-19, told The New Nation on Monday.
He said the Chinese medical team has expressed such disappointment and given several advises during their meeting with the national committee and other officials in the health ministry.
The visiting team also expressed dissatisfaction about less number of corona tests in Bangladesh which is not desirable in this grave situation of the pandemic, Professor Nazrul Islam added.
Besides, Dr. Ayesha Akther, Assistant Director, Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) told The New Nation on Monday, “The Chinese team has visited Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and other dedicated Covid-19 hospitals here. They suggested expanding coronavirus infection tests and laid emphasis on creating more awareness among the people.” She said the visited Chinese experts also suggest maintaining social distancing norms and other health safety advises, outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), strictly.
Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday said that Chinese Covid-19 expert team was satisfied over the Bangladesh’s efforts on combating coronavirus spreading.
But they pointed out several spaces where there are some scopes to do more to fight the battle, he added.
The health minister said it at a press briefing at the VIP lounge of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport when he went there to see off the Chinese expert team.
The Chinese team will submit four separate reports about their observations and recommendations within next week through the country’s embassy in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, the Chinese team also expressed views about their two week long observations on Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh to the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh or DCAB in a virtual interaction.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Hualong Yan, Deputy Chief of the Mission at Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, suggested that Bangladesh should impose another lockdown more strictly and scientifically.
He said, “The spread of coronavirus is yet to reach its peak in Bangladesh and it is difficult to say when it would.”
Expressing frustration over Bangladesh’s low-rate of sample testing, he said, “We spoke to doctors and other medical service providers around the country, including in Chattogram and Sylhet, who said many places outside Dhaka have no coronavirus testing laboratories.
They await results after sending the samples to Dhaka. It should be overcome soon to strengthen the fight against the virus spreading.”
About their assistance in this regards, the Chinese team leader said that their country is trying to invent vaccines to prevent coronavirus infections.
“After inventing the vaccine successfully, we will provide it Bangladesh among the countries of first priority,” they said.
