Police are looking for a Covid-19 patient who fled from the Jessore General Hospital.
Yunus Ali Gazi, 40, son of Lutor Rahman Gazi of South Char Rampur village under Faridganj upazila in Chandpur, was taken to the hospital after returning from India carrying the deadly virus, reports Bangla Tribune.
He entered Bangladesh through the Benapole land border on Thursday, when his Covid-19 test report came positive. Soon afterwards, he was sent to the dedicated Covid-19 unit of the hospital around 5pm.
Resident Medical Officer of the hospital Arif Ahmed said that Yunus had left the hospital premises pretending to talk on the phone.
“When the on-duty policemen intercepted him, Yunus introduced himself as an attendant of a patient and quickly left the hospital,” he said.
Additional Superintendent of Police Touhidul Islam said that they were looking for the patient.
Also Read - Police apprehend 10 India returnee Covid patients who fled Jessore hospital
Earlier, 10 Covid patients including seven India returnees fled from the hospital on April 23 and 24, but all of them were later tracked down and re-admitted to the hospital two days later.
On April 26, Bangladesh closed its borders with India for 14 days for passengers to help stop the Indian variant from entering the country. In the meantime, the country detected its first cases of the Indian coronavirus variant, prompting the authorities concerned to extend the closure of the land borders for two more weeks.
Though the movement of passengers to and from India is suspended through land ports, Bangladeshi citizens currently travelling to India for treatment and having visas with validity for less than 15 days can return home.
The government and public health experts are concerned about a possible third wave of Covid-19 in early June due to the detection of the Indian variant.
The government on Thursday decided in principle to extend the ongoing lockdown from May 17 to curb the surge in Covid-19 cases feared after the Eid holidays.
