With the rise of COVID 19 cases across the country, the government is planning on bringing in a set of concrete measures involving a number of ministries to deal with the crisis, said Health Minister Zahed Maleque.
“As the work for combining different ministries are at an initial stage, we hope this effort, once put in place, would result in some positive impacts” he said.
The minister made the revelation at the fifth episode of an online discussion titled “Beyond the Pandemic”, organized by the web team of Bangladesh Awami League, held on Saturday and moderated by PM’s Special Assistant Barrister Shah Ali Farhad.
On ensuring the round the clock health services for people at private hospitals, he said ” I have been in constant communication with the owners of those hospitals, also meeting them. Covid testing facilities have been introduced in those hospitals.” “Only with a scientific approach we can win this battle”, he added.
On allegation of limited testing facilities, Habib ur Rahman Khan, an Additional Secretary of the ministry, said that a number of testing facilities have been extended to in comparison with the initial days of the pandemic.
In reference to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives as regard to the speedy recruitment of doctors and nurses, he added that works are underway to appoint two thousand lab technicians more to speed up and expand testing facilities.
Asked on the application of rapid testing kits, Dr Mamun Al Mahtab said that although the use of such kits in different countries have failed to bring in complete accuracy, it is important to go through a complete assessment before giving approval to application of such kits.
Mamun, also the chairman of hepatology department of BSMMU, highlighted the extensive works put in place by different organizations in expanding telemedicine services to help patients avail healthcare services.
