There are widespread allegations of maltreatment of Covid-19 patients admitted to various hospitals across the country. As a result of this death rates are said to be increasing due to lack of manpower as well as medical facilities.
Such serious allegations came from cities like Khulna, Chattogram and the capital Dhaka where many patients have died because of lack of care and facilities.
Dhaka
In the capital Dhaka, corona and other patients are deprived of necessary treatment in hospitals, relatives alleged. Coronavirus treatment at many hospitals were near impossible and many were reluctant to take the cases as they lacked facilities in treating the virus.
Various crisis including lack of hospital beds, oxygen, ICU and ambulance are present in most of the hospitals. People are standing in line for hours in front of capital's hospitals for the corona test. However, they are still not able to do the test.
According to the Department of Health, there are 13,964 beds for corona patients in the country. Of these, 399 are ICU and 108 are kidney dialysis beds. In the capital, there are 7,250 beds and of these, 138 are ICUs and 101 are kidney dialysis beds. The number of corona infected patients in the capital has crossed 18,000. Only to treat corona patients, the government had set up 13 hospitals in the capital. However, one of the private hospitals has withdrawn from its contract with the government. The government has instructions for the treatment of corona patients in all public and private hospitals in the country. But it was not fully implemented.
In this situation, with the increase in the number of patients, the pressure on the hospitals allotted for them is increasing. According to the World Health Organization, 40 percent of patients with coronavirus have mild symptoms, 40 percent have moderate symptoms, and 15 percent have severe symptoms. Complications are seen in the remaining five percent of patients.
Patients with more complex symptoms are asked to go to the hospital. However, there are bed crisis. There is no vacancy in the ICU. Due to lack of beds, emergency patients affected by corona cannot get admitted in capital’s hospitals. Corona dedicated hospitals have central oxygen but many do not have ICUs.
The health directorate is encouraging people to seek treatment at home if there are no complications. However, the health directorate is not keeping track for those who are receiving treatment from home.
Chattogram
In Chattogram, patients with corona infection and symptoms are allegedly dying without treatment due to the crisis of normal beds and ICUs. Corona treatment is going on in Chattogram under fragile management.
Adequate amount of beds is not there in government hospitals. Many private hospitals, which were directed by the government to treat COVID-19 patients, are closed. Overall, extreme anarchic situation is going on in healthcare at the port city.
More than 1 crore people live in Chattogram metropolis and districts. However, only 320 beds are available in three government hospitals in Chattogram for the treatment of corona victims. General Hospital has 160 beds with ICU, Chattogram Medical College (CMC) Hospital has 110 beds with ICU and Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) has 50 beds.
However, in Chattogram on an average of 56 people are being tested positive for coronavirus every day. Last Wednesday, 140 people were infected in one day. A total of 3,537 people were infected with coronavirus in Chattogram. Six people have already died of corona here.
Chattogram General Hospital Senior Consultant Abdur Rob said, “The hospital does not have a normal bed and ICU. The patient cannot get admitted because we do not have adequate amount of beds. We cannot provide ICU support as well. At least, 60 ICU beds need to be opened in Chattogram now on an emergency basis.”
On May 26, the Ministry of Health declared the private USTC and Imperial in Chattogram as COVID-19 Hospitals and directed them to start treatment immediately. Moreover, on May 24, the health service department directed to provide treatment to COVID and non-COVID 19 patients in public and private hospitals. However, none of these decisions of the government in Chattogram were implemented.
Khulna
Questions have been raised again about the medical services in the corona isolation ward of Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH). There are allegations that at least 25 patients have died due to lack of full-time doctors and another 29 died with corona symptoms also due to lack of manpower and medical facilities.
Relatives complained that doctors and health workers were not available at the Corona Unit where suspected patients are supposed to be observed and treated. Specialist doctors do not come as it is a corona unit. As a result, some patient have died without any treatment.
Bangladesh Medical Association, BMA, Khulna President Sheikh Baharul Alam complained that the public-private health management in Khulna is in a state of chaos. To treat corona patients, an ICU ventilator has been installed at the hospital but there is no uninterrupted oxygen supply for emergency treatment.
At present, 28 large oxygen cylinders are required at the same time to introduce the oxygen bank system. Due to mismanagement, one has to wait for 3-4 days to get the 'No Corona' certificate at Flu Corner of KMCH. Without proper treatment, the dying patients are facing risks of dying without proper healthcare.
The picture of private hospitals is even worse. Many other patients, who are not infected with corona, are being deprived of treatment due to the closure of private practice by the doctors.
