Noman Mosharef :
Government’s decision to reduce number of ‘dedicated’ covid-19 hospitals on the ground of remaining most beds vacant would give wrong message to the people, said the health experts.
They said, the people of the country will think that the deadly coronavirus does not exist in the country. As a result, citizens would notmaintain health directives which are the main reasons for transmitting the novel coronavirus.
They also alerted by giving example that in the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom, after the decline of patients, there was some relaxation in the prevention activities. That’s why the second wave came there. And if that happens in our country, then we will be in more trouble.
In the meantime, Health Minister said, the process is going on to make dedicated covid-19 hospitals list. The process will be implemented firstly in the capital and subsequently it will be followed throughout the country while few will remain for covid-19 treatment.
According to Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) statistics till August 15, of the 7,062 beds in the hospital where covid patients are treated in Dhaka, 2,218 patients were admitted and 4,844 beds remained vacant. There are 305 Intensive Care Units (ICU) where 204 patients were admitted. And there are 101 empty ICU beds. There are 15,280 beds for covid patients across the country where 4,364 patients were admitted. On the other hand, there are 10,916 empty beds. Besides, there are 543 ICU seats in the country and 325 patients are admitted there. And there are 218 empty beds.
Zahid Maleque on August 15 said, “It will not take long for Covid-19 to leave Bangladesh. I do not know if we will need a vaccine. Even then, we have made all preparations for the vaccine.”
“We are in a much better position now. The death rate is much lower considering to the size of the population,” he said. “Our recovery rate is good more than 60 percent. The rate of infection is declining.”
“Confidence has been instilled in people. The fact is that 70% of hospital beds are empty. No one was left to suffer without treatment. That is why people now dare go out.
“People are now aware of the treatment facilities, an achievement of the Health Ministry.”
In this regard, the Director of the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital Uttam Kumar Barua said that covid patients will not be admitted in this hospital from next week. Other diseases will be treated here as before.
The preliminary list for withdrawal of covid treatment includes Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Sheikh Hasina National Plastic and Burn Institute, Sheikh Russell National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital, Dhaka Metropolitan Hospital, Police Hospital, Mugda General Hospital, Lalkuthi Center for Mother and Children care in Mirpur and Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital.
Regarding this issue, National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 member and also Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) former Vice-Chancellor Dr Nazrul Islam said, no advice was taken on the closure of the hospital. The advisory committee did not give any such advice .
He further said, the government says that the seats of Covid Hospital are vacant, they will be converted into non-Covid Hospital. The people will think there is no virus. The mass people would be accustomed to wearing no masks and adhering to social distances.
In this regard, Professor Be-Nazir Ahmed said that at first it was a very bad decision to close the bulletin, but now the decision to reduce the number of hospitals is being added. When Bashundhara Hospital was set up, we said there was no need to build such a hospital all on a sudden. Other hospitals need to be run properly. But suddenly the ministry decided to set up Bashundhara Hospital and there are questions about the actual use of three to four thousand beds there.
He added that it was not a matter of closing the hospital. We need to keep the management for covid in such a way that what is the current situation, what may be the situation ahead. So that it can be compressed and expanded as it needed.
