72% beds empty at dedicated Covid-19 hospitals

Highlights:

• Total infected: 210,510 or 19.96%
• Total death: 2,709 or 1.29%
• Total recovery: 115,397 or 54.82%
• Total sample test: 1,054,559
• Isolated: 18,671
• In Quarantine: 59,079

The government has dedicated 15,468 general beds for the treatment of Covid-19 cases in dedicated hospitals across Bangladesh, but only 4,261 patients are currently admitted to those facilities. 

So, as of Tuesday, a staggering 72.45 percent of the general beds designated for novel coronavirus patients are empty despite the ongoing pandemic in the county.

Similarly, 55.19 percent of the ICU beds were empty at different Covid-19 dedicated hospitals till Tuesday, as novel coronavirus patients occupied 282 out of the 511 designated ICU beds.

Making the disclosure at an online briefing on Tuesday, Additional Director General (administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Nasima Sultana said, "Currently, 2,212 general beds and 168 ICU beds are occupied in the Dhaka division, and 290 general beds and 92 ICU beds are occupied in Chattogram Division."

"Further, 1,769 general beds and 92 ICU beds are occupied throughout the rest of the country," she said.

Bangladesh confirmed 41 more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 3,057 new cases after testing 12,898 samples–in the last 24 hours till Tuesday 8am. With this, the death toll from the deadly virus rose to 2,709 and the number of total infections stood at 210,510. 

The latest day's infection rate was 23.70 percent of the total tests, while the overall rate in the country till date was 19.96 percent.

Professor Ridwanur Rahman, medicine specialist and head of the research centre at Universal Medical College, told the Business Standard, "People are not satisfied with hospital services, and that is why those testing positive are using oxygen at home instead of going to hospitals."

"The services currently available should be user-friendly–whether from a government or a private facility," he added.

Meanwhile at the briefing, Prof Dr Nasima Sultana said, "Of the deceased patients, 34 are men and seven are women. Moreover, 15 each hailed from Dhaka and Chattogram, five each from Khulna and Rajshahi, and one from Rangpur division.

"Thirty-one of them have died in different hospitals and 10 in their respective homes."

Some 2,138 people who have died from Covid-19 are male and 571 are female–78.92 percent  and 21.08 percent, respectively.

District-wise, out of 2,709 fatalities till date: 48.73 percent or 1,320 are from Dhaka division, 25.40 percent or 688 from Chattogram, 6.57 percent or 178 from Khulna, 5.50 percent or 149 from Rajshahi, 4.61 percent or 125 from Sylhet, 3.69 percent or 100 from Barishal, 3.36 percent or 91 from Rangpur, and 2.14 percent or 58 from Mymensingh.

Providing further details, Dr Nasima said, "Some 12,149 samples were collected in the last 24 hours and 12,898 were tested in 80 labs across the country. So far, 1,054,559 samples have been tested."

Additionally, some 1,841 patients have recovered during the time, increasing the tally to 115,397 and the recovery rate to around 54.82 percent.