Many government listed hospitals for treating coronavirus suspects and patients are not ready yet for treatment.
Sheikh Rasel Gastroliver Institute & Hospital in Mohakhali, which has widely been publicized as a hospital ready for treating Covid-19 patients, is an ideal example of the situation.
On a recent visit, Dhaka Tribune found the hospital is not ready for treating patients due to lack of medical equipment, manpower, and other essential components.
The hospital authority wrote to the Health and Family Welfare Ministry and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), but they are yet to receive the essentials to operate the hospital for Covid-19 patients.
Prof Faruque Ahmed, director of the hospital, told Dhaka Tribune that they have readied eight ICU (Intensive Care Unit) beds but they are not yet functional.
“It would take time to be fully prepared. We are lobbying with the health ministry and DGHS for the supply of essentials,” he said.
The hospital received eight High Dependency Unit (HDUs) beds, but they lie idle without the equipment required.
The hospital was established to provide medical treatment to gastro liver patients, but the government recently decided to run the newly built hospital for treating coronavirus patients.
Meanwhile, Dr Ayesha Akther, assistant director of the DGHS control room, said: “We are only treating Covid-19 patients at the Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, and they will be sent to other hospitals if the patient flow increases and when hospitals are ready.”
Scarce facilities
Sheikh Rasel Gastroliver Institute & Hospital was selected for the treatment of COVID-19 patients where isolation is a key for treatment, but the hospital does not have the facility.
Dr Faruque said they can admit coronavirus patients, but they cannot provide complete medical support, including isolation, because of the lack of logistics right now.
Sheikh Rasel National Gastroliver Institute & Hospital, Mohakhali | Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune“We can say that we will provide assistance in emergencies. But not more than that. We still have some manpower including a doctor, nurse, and other assistants. But we cannot provide the standard facility [for treating Covid-19 patients] at present,” he added.
Full operation soon unlikely
The hospital authority said they need over a hundred doctors for full fledged operation, but only four doctors are now on duty right now.
37 or 38 nurses have been employed by the hospital, but they have not joined work yet.
The hospital is yet to receive a minimum of 30 ward boys required to assist doctors and nurses, said the hospital director.
“We are not fully prepared, as full fledged operation depends on the arrival of necessary equipment,” said Dr Faruque.
He said primary treatment could be given here, but there would be an absence of isolation facilities.
According to hospital officials, 140 out of 250 beds in the general ward and cabins of the hospital were active to admit gastro liver patients but it is now inactive.
However, 170 out of 250 beds are being prepared for admitting coronavirus patients.
Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Director (hospitals) Aminul Hasan however claimed the hospital will begin functioning from the first week of April.
Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control, and Research (IEDCR) senior scientific officer, Dr MM Aktaruzzaman, said it is true that Bangladesh will have to prepare more hospitals if infection cases rise, but logistics and other facilities to combat coronavirus are also a must to provide services.
