Reza Mahmud :
Severely sick Covid-19 patients’ waiting for an ICU bed at Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital does not end.
Patients and their relatives have been apprised by the officials of the hospital that there are no vacant beds in the hospital. Yet they wait patiently.
“Could you suggest me please, where is a vacant ICU bed? We shall go there right now,” said Arifur Rahman, a relative of one of the covid patients waiting at the emergency unit of Covid-19 in the hospital.
Arif said also that he, likewise other patients’ family members are waiting long to hear a good news suddenly of emptying any ICU bed, they have failed after pursuing in different hospitals.
When Arif was talking with this correspondent, his patient, an aged woman, was waiting in an ambulance there with the support of a oxygen from a cylinder belonging them.
Another aged man was found suffering from respiratory problem critically waiting in a separate ambulance there tirelessly for an ICU bed. A staff of the hospital who is a relative of one of the patients told this correspondent that he would not admit his patient here because there is no ICU bed vacant.
“I am a staff of this hospital. Authority asked me to admit my patient in a general bed as there is no vacant ICU seat here. But my patient seriously needed an ICU bed as he is suffering from respiratory problem acutely,” he said.
Official sources said, Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital’s 160 beds including 16 ICU seats were occupied with emergency patients.
In these circumstances, patients and their relatives are coming and returning round the clock seeking a bed at ICU.
On the spot visit, on Thursday morning 10:00am to 12:2pm it was found that several ambulances arrived and stayed in front of the covid admitting office yard distance from the main gate of the hospital.
Nearest persons of the patients came down, rushed to the emergency unit and started insisting for a ICU bed and finally returned with pale appearances after getting no positive response.
The uncertainty and pain reflected in the patients’ appearances was really unbearable.
When contacted, Professor Dr. Faruk Ahmed, Director of Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital told The New Nation on Thursday, “There is no chance to admit any covid patient at ICU bed in our hospital. All the 160 beds including 16 ICU seats are occupied. One or two general beds may be found emptied frequently, but ICU is fully loaded for a long time.”
He said severely sick patients needed admission in ICU beds but we have no any empty bed which is making patients and their family members frustrated. We feel helpless in this situation.
Officials working in the emergency unit also were found disappointed as they had to say similar speech hundred times in a day.
“We have to convince patients’ relatives about the hospitals limited capacity to admit ICU oriented patients and it is a very difficult job as we can’t wipe their tears of eyes,” said an official preferring anonymity because he is not authorized person to give speech.
