Staff Reporter :
About 30 covid-19 dedicated hospitals were established by the government and at private level across the country to accelerate the treatment of the coronavirus affected people. But recently some of the hospitals became vacant without any covid-19 patients. As a result, to maintain these hospitals government is spending a huge amount of money without any outcome.
It is learnt that the doctors, nurses and health assistants of these hospitals are spending leisure time. They are paid without work. Although, these hospitals having no patients recently.
Aiming to save the government expenditure, the health ministry is going to declare these covid-19 dedicated hospitals to non-covid hospitals where regular treatment will be available. The Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) will soon send a letter asking for the opinion of the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, Health Minister Zahid Malek has indicated that several hospitals would be declared as non-covid hospitals.
The first case of coronavirus was identified in the country on March 8. Preparations for proper treatment for coronavirus positive citizens began well before the coronavirus infection. With the help of Bashundhara Group and financed by the government, a 2013 seated corona hospital and Isolation Center was build at Bashundhara Convention Centre at Kuril in the capital. Manpower including doctors and nurses are deployed there to take care of the patients by installing the necessary expensive equipment. A director was also appointed to manage the activities of the hospital. Although there was an overall readiness to provide services to the patients with adequate manpower, not too many patients were admitted there. Over the last few days, the number of patients has come down to almost zero
Till Monday (August 24), the number of patients in the 2013 bed hospital was only 15, that is, there were 1,998 empty beds. Mohakhali Infectious Diseases Hospital has a 10-bed for Corona patients but no patients are admitted there at present. Only 11 patients have been admitted to the 105-bed Dhaka Metropolitan Corona Hospital in the capital’s Babubazar. Only nine patients have been admitted to the 121-bed Lalkuthi Hospital in Mirpur. Only 122 patients are admitted to the 420-bed Holy Family Red Crescent Corona Hospital in the capital’s Eskaton. Only 195 patients are admitted in the 1,012-bed Rajarbagh Police Hospital. Only 30 patients were admitted to the 66-bed government employee hospital.
Outside Dhaka, the 100-bed Holy Crescent Hospital in Chittagong has five patients, the 100-bed Chittagong Railway Hospital has no patient, the 47-bed Bangabandhu Memorial Hospital in Pahartali has one patient and the 40-bed Bhatiari Hospital has no patients.
In this context, the DGHS Director (Hospital and Clinic) Dr Farid Hossain Mia said a proposal would be sent to the ministry on whether the hospitals could be declared non-covid hospitals having less corona patients. He also said that necessary steps would be taken as per the instructions of the ministry.
