The government is recruiting 5,000 medical technologists for managing coronavirus sample collection and testing.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque made the announcement on Sunday while inaugurating 2,000-bed temporary hospital for coronavirus at Bashundhara International Convention Center in Dhaka.
He said they would recruit them ‘very soon’.
“We have taken 2,000 doctors and 5,000 nurses only in 10 days. So we’ll be able to take 5000 technologists very soon,” he said, adding that the process is already underway.
Technologists are needed for sample collection and testing in different RT-PCR labs across Bangladesh.
The government is now testing samples in 42 laboratories with plans to expand further. The temporary hospital was set up after the Bashundhara Group donated the space to the government to manage the coronavirus patients.
This 2,013-bed facility is one of the largest field hospitals in the world.
The minister said apart from isolation beds, oxygen cylinders have been attached to 71 beds.
“It also has at least 400 more portable oxygen cylinders,” he said as coronavirus patients face breathing problems that require emergency oxygen therapy.
The health minister said this is the “second largest hospital” in the world dedicated for coronavirus treatment.
“We have been able to build it in 20 days only,” he said.
He said they had already instructed all government and private hospitals for compulsory treatment of general patients at non-Covid hospitals.
He, however, urged people to follow health rules properly.
“The government imposed lockdown when it was needed and relaxed it when it’s time to relax. We relaxed it following all safety rules. The government is taking decision considering all sides. But people need to follow those rules,” he said.
He also requested people not to hide any information related to Covid-19 symptoms.
