Media report on Wednesday said people affected by delta variant of coronavirus in the border districts are rushing to Khulna and Rajshahi Medical College Hospitals for testing and treatment. They are mostly turned back being denied admission because of shortage of hospital beds and ICU facilities. The same situation is reported in Bagerhat and Jashore government hospitals. Other hospitals in the region are also turning back patients citing lack of inadequate facilities for Covid patients.
The delta variant is also known as Indian variant of novel coronavirus now impacting our border belt through transmission across the border. We can’t check it but are becoming helpless victims. This variant now causing havoc to India and may soon spread inside Bangladesh. We are afraid the situation may turn volatile and inadequate hospital facilities in border districts may worsen the situation. We would like to ask the question what the government has done through last year when India was a big treat across the border. The government had enough fund to build nationwide treatment infrastructure. Death toll in Bangladesh shot up to 65 on June 16 and it is rising on daily basis against 20-25 daily deaths in recent past. Meanwhile, the infection rate has also doubled.
Patients are increasingly crowding government hospitals in border areas and in many other parts of the country including Dhaka but the unpreparedness of hospitals to deal with the delta variant is a big shock and totally unacceptable. The growing horror of the Indian variant novel virus is only growing at a time when the administration also lacks the vaccine supply to immediately roll out a nationwide vaccination programme. The disclosure of the health officials that they have only a stock of around 122,486 doses Oxford-AstraeZnica vaccine raises the question why it failed to ensure enough supply. People who have the first jab and are waiting for the second are also facing a critical health situation.
Public health matters have been most neglected for the benefit of corruption. The VIPs have nothing to worry because they can get most expensive treatment abroad with public money. The deaths of members of the general public are unimportant. Their votes do not count for forming government. So dead or alive the general people are best ignored.
For the same reason urgency was not felt for vaccination. It is criminal that less that 2% people got vaccinated.
