Health Minister Zahid Maleque has opined that some industries in the country should open their doors in a bid to protect the country’s economy from the impact of Covid-19.
The minister of health and family welfare made the suggestion while briefing the media after visiting the isolation centre being prepared at Bashundhara Convention Centre in Dhaka to treat coronavirus patients, a press release from the ministry read.
Zahid Maleque said: “Some industries should be opened on a limited scale, maintaining all health safety measures, so that people would not suffer through losing their jobs due to the impact of coronavirus."
"Coronavirus lockdown has already been eased in the USA and several European countries including Italy and France. New Zealand has already ended coronavirus lockdown and returned to normal lives.
If everything goes right, we will return to normal life soon,” the minister added.
He said that the country has more than 20,000 isolation beds to continue treatment, the press release read.
He said work is in progress to set up a 2,000-bed isolation unit at Bashundhara Convention Centre, 1,300 bed unit at DNCC market at Mohakhali and 1,200-bed unit in Diabari of Uttara.
The minister hoped that the units would be inaugurated within this week, the press release stated.
According to the press release, the minister claimed to prepare some 601 institutions in district and upazila level for isolation.
However, a press release from the coronavirus integrated control room under DGHS informed that the 601 institutions were already a part of the quarantine facility.
Meanwhile, the minister said that in order to face the crisis, they are in the process of recruiting 2,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses. Some medical technologists will also be recruited by outsourcing, he added.
Director-General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Abul Kalam Azad and Additional Secretary Habibur Rahman were present at the time among others.
