Not the time to increase hospital beds, but decrease Covid-19 infections: Health minster

Mentioning Covid patients have increased a lot recently and the number of beds and field hospitals is also being increased, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said now, it is the time to reduce the infection rate, not increase beds.

He said this at the inaugural ceremony of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Covid Field Hospital under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Saturday.

Admission of patients at the field hospital set up on BSMMU premises to treat coronavirus patients started just after its inauguration.

"We need to reduce infections. People do not get infected in hospitals or clinics, it happens on the streets. The infection rate is increasing because hygiene rules are not being followed," said Zahid Maleque.

"Doctors and nurses will not be able to control the transport sector, ferries or factories. We need the support of the people. It is the people who will be able to reduce the infection rate."

He said 400 beds of this field hospital have been prepared in 20 days. There are 40 ICU beds. All other beds are covered by central oxygen. The hospital is suitable for all types of Covid patients. A tank has been installed here with a capacity of 10,000 litres of liquid oxygen. A small lab has been set up for testing. The hospital will be upgraded to 1,000 beds soon.

The minister said, "We have built this field hospital for Covid treatment, but we do not want it filled up with patients. We want our hospitals to be emptied gradually. Let people be healthy, let them go back to normal life. We have to make that effort."

Zahid Malek said the various law enforcement agencies that are in charge and those involved in the transport sector will be able to control further infection. Political leaders and imams of mosques need to reduce the infection through propaganda. Now is the time to reduce the infection rate. There is no scope to increase the number of beds in hospitals.

"We want to take vaccines to the villages. The urban population have more or less received the vaccine, but the elderly people of villages did not get vaccinated that much," said the minister.

He said an agreement to buy another 60 million doses of vaccine from China will be signed soon. Out of the 60 million vaccine doses, 20 million doses will come to the country in October and 20 million in November. The rest of the vaccines will be available in phases.