Reza Mahmud :
Hospitals ICU beds become golden dear as the Covid-19 contamination skyrocketed in the country.
Breaking all the previous records Bangladesh witnessed over 7000 cases on Sunday.
As per the data of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), revealed on Sunday, a total of 7,087 people tested positive in the last 24 hours.
The country recorded a total of 53 deaths over the same period. According to official data, Bangladesh also recorded its highest ever seven-day moving average of daily Covid-19 deaths 51.71, since the pandemic broke out in March8 last year.
With the latest development, the total number of deaths reached 9,266 while the total infections stood at 637,364 in the country.
The covid dedicated hospitals especially in the capital passed hard times as the patients are rushing every moment.
Hospital authorities failed to provide beds while the ICU beds become dearer in recent days.
As per the health authorities data, only two out of 118 ICU beds in the capital’s 10 government covid designated hospitals are vacant on Sunday.
The data also showed that 2402 patients have been admitted on 2515 general beds keeping only 113 beds vacant on the same day.
Health experts and the officials of those hospitals said these numbers of beds are insufficient while the cases are increasing sharply.
In these circumstances, the government imposed nationwide lockdown for an week start from Monday.
But human health experts said this lockdown may bring partial result as it will keep many institutes like banks-insurances open. Factories, kitchen markets and such others also would be open during the seven day long lockdown which made the health experts worried.
When contacted, Professor Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former Director (disease control) of the DGHS told The New Nation on Sunday, “Covid cases are rising for last several days alarmingly. It is unprecedented. In such a condition, partial lockdown may not bring a desirable output.”
Those whoever join work in garments factories may be contaminated and then can be spread the virus to their family members.
Similarly officials attended banks and other offices may be spread the disease after being contaminated from others.
People, who go to markets may carry the virus to infect others, he warned. The health expert asked for stricter lockdown keeping everything closed including kitchen market.
He also suggested the government to extend lockdown tenure more than one week.
Professor Dr. Muzaherul Huq, told The New Nation, “Government should use law enforcers strictly to maintain health safety measures properly to curb the contamination of the deadly virus.” The professor suggested the government to engage people in this nation saving campaigns creating massive awareness.
