Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) is turning into a Covid-19 hotspot as the hospital recorded 51 deaths from the virus in the last six days.
More than 200 infected people are also currently undergoing treatment there.
Of the 204 patients, 94 are from Chapainawabganj district, 77 from Rajshahi district and the rest from other districts of the division, according to hospital sources.
On Sunday, the hospital recorded 12 deaths – the district's highest daily toll since the pandemic started. Eight of the deceased tested positive for Covid-19 while the other four had the symptoms and died even before getting tested.
Seven of the deceased were from Chapainawabganj, two each from Rajshahi and Nagaon, and one from Natore.
Despite the surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths, not much awareness is seen among the people coming to the hospital or in the surrounding areas, increasing the risk of doctors and hospital staff of getting infected.
The head of the hospital’s burn unit, Dr Afroza Naznin, said: “Patients in the general ward are also testing positive for Covid-19 after undergoing treatment for a few days – often after dressing or surgery. This increases our risk of getting infected. We have to do our job but the patients need to be more aware."
RMCH Director General Shamim Yeazdani said: “The Covid-19 situation in Rajshahi is worsening. A strict lockdown should be imposed immediately. We are going to increase the number of beds of Covid-19 patients and if this trend continues, we won’t be able to admit any more patients.”
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Yeazdani also said that they were conducting various activities to make the patients and people around more aware but they are paying no heed. The director urged the authorities concerned to impose the health safety rules strictly.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Abu Kalam Siddique said: “We are distributing masks and conducting various awareness activities in the hospital area. We cannot close down the pharmacies or stop people from coming there. We're trying to control the situation as humanely as possible."
According to health authorities, the number of Covid-19 patients in six districts of the Rajshahi Division crossed the 35,000 mark on Sunday.
In the 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday mornings, 337 new cases were reported in the division, which is also a new record.
Sunday's data took the total number of cases in the division to 35,165 while the death toll went up to 550. So far, 31,351 people of Rajshahi Division have also recovered since March last year.
Habibul Ahsan Talukder, director of the Rajshahi Divisional Health Department, said they were continuing all kinds of activities to prevent the spread of Covid-19 including increasing the number of antigen tests. He urged everyone to abide by the restrictions on public movement and gatherings.
