ZCZC
BSS-37
HOSPITAL-BED-EMPTY-MALEQUE
60 percent beds remain empty in COVID-19 hospitals: Maleque
DHAKA, July 30, 2020 (BSS) – Health Minister Zahid Maleque today said 60 percent beds in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals are lying empty as the government has taken effective healthcare measures to treat coronavirus patients in the country.
“Nearly 50 percent ICUs have remained empty at the COVID-19 hospitals…. the government is rightfully dealing the pandemic to protect lives of the people,” he told a function in the conference of the health ministry, an official release said.
Initially, central oxygen system was in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the minister said adding at present, central oxygen systems are in many hospitals and process of installing 70 more central oxygen systems are underway at divisional and district level hospitals.
He said the government has introduced telemedicine services to provide treatment facilities to the COVID-19 patients and the recovery rate from the deadly disease is gradually increasing due to multiple healthcare measures taken by relevant organizations of the health ministry.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) sources said there are 7,032 beds and 193 ICUs in 16 COVID-19 dedicated hospitals in Dhaka city.
There are 15,240 beds and 549 ICUs in the country, they said adding there is no scarcity of ICUs and beds in the hospital for COVID-19 patients.
In order to make treatment facilities easily available for COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services, comprising 70 physicians and 20 health workers, round- the-clock in the country.
A total of 1,48,316 people have so far received healthcare services from telemedicine, they added.
They said nearly 1.79 crore people have so far received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency health services.
BSS/PR/MMR/ARS/1837 hrs