CHATTOGRAM, July 18: Inadequate medical facilities in public and private hospitals have crippled the port city in the emergency period of COVID-19. With limitations of medical equipment and inadequate manpower including shortage of physicians and nurses, the health system of Chattogram is failing to respond duly to the ongoing lethal blow of the pandemic.
More than 40 million people of the eleven districts of Chattogram: Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Banderban, Rangamati, Khagrachari, Noakhali, Feni, Luxmipur, Comilla, Chandpur and Brahmanbaria have become the worst sufferer of these shortcomings.
The Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) started its function in 1969 to cater to the demands of the inhabitants of the then greater Chattogram Division including the Sylhet with a capacity of only 500 beds.
Brigadier General Humayun Kabir, Director of CMCH told the Daily Observer that the total numbers of bed are 1313.
"We are to provide treatment to more than 3000 patients and 300 COVID patients every day. So, the rest of the patients are taking treatment on the floor for shortage of beds," he said. But they have only
100 Covid dedicated beds, he added.
On the other hand, the Chattogram General Hospital which has been upgraded to 250-bed hospital can provide facilities to only 200 patients.
Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, Civil Surgeon of Chattogram told the Daily Observer that the hospital has now been dedicated to COVID-19 patients.
There are also two more army hospitals in Chattogram, such as CMH with 200-beds and Navy hospital with 50 beds.
However, 350-bed Bangabandhu Memorial Hospital (BBMH), 150-bed Chattogram Port Hospital, 100-bed Memon maternity hospital, 25-bed each Mustafa Hakim Maternity and Bandertila Maternity hospitals under this division are managed by Chattogram City Corporation.
According to Chattogram Division Director of Health, there are a total of 541 beds with 35 Intensive care Units (ICU) in public hospitals dedicated to COVID patients while in private hospitals there are 2043 general beds with 83 ICUs falling much short of needs.
Meanwhile, on Saturday a total of 11 people died of coronavirus and 945 more have tested positive in last 24-hour in Chattogram. The number of corona cases here is on the rise and new record in infection is being reported every day. The latest infection rate is 31.72 percent.
"The infection rate is showing a rising trend again with the recovery rate gradually reducing," Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said.
With the 11 deaths on Saturday, the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) fatalities in Chattogram reached 835.
Rabbi added among the total infected persons, 53,322 are the residents of the port city and the rest 16,941 are of different upazilas of the district of the division.
The number of patients cured from the virus has reached 52,549 in the district with the recovery of 255 more patients on Saturday with the percentage of recovery rate stands at 73.95.
A total of 7125 infected patients are now undergoing treatment at designated hospitals here.
