ZCZC
BSS-19
BRIEFING-COVID-MINISTER-LEAD
One more dies of coronavirus, 4 new patients detected
DHAKA, Mar 21, 2020 (BSS) – The government today declared one more death from coronavirus (COVID-19) and detection of four more patients in the country.
“One more died of COVID-19…he was over 70 and had comorbidity. Besides, four more persons were detected with the virus infection in last 24 hours,” said Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque.
He disclosed the information at a press briefing at Directorate General Health Services (DGHS) office at city’s Mohakhali area.
Earlier on March 18, Bangladesh saw its first fatality of COVID-19, as a 70-year-old man died of the disease. The first three persons detected with COVID-19 have already recovered and left the hospital.
Of the newly detected four, two are male and the other two are female, said the minister.
“The government has planned to bring experts from China to train up our doctors, nurses and other health care providers and also to find out our gaps in tackling the virus,” said the minister.
“We have eight Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines, which we use to screen COVID-19, we have already received seven more machines …These would be installed soon as it is a matter of time and safety to install those,” he further said.
“We will install 100 more intensive care units (ICU) very soon and 300 more ICU will be installed later,” Zahid Maleque said, adding, “We will take Sheikh Rasel Gastroliver Institute & Hospital and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for the treatment of the COVID-19 patients.
A total 50 people are in institutional quarantine while 14,000 are in home quarantine, the minister revealed at the briefing IEDCR has received total 2,417 calls in the last 24 hours, of which 2,269 calls were regarding COVID-19.
The minister said the government is already applying law to make the people follow the guideline.
IEDCR has opened an e-mail [email protected] and facebook account– iedcr, COVID-19 Control Room – where people can get their required information. Doctors also have started providing suggestions using ‘Corona Doctors Poll App’.
A total of 5,293 beds have been prepared across the country for isolation. Of these, 650 beds are in city hospitals.
Secretary Asadul Islam, Director General of DGHS Abul Kalam Azad, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Professor Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora and Principal Scientific Officer Dr ASM Alamgir were present at the briefing, among others.
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