With physicians, nurses and health workers contracting the novel coronavirus, medical service has almost come to a standstill in 21 hospitals outside the capital city. And all sorts of services have been completely shut down in 8 private clinics. Patients, even those not affected by coronavirus, are now at a loss about where to get treatment.
Government health services in Bhairab, Kishoreganj, have come to a complete halt, with 8 physicians and 22 health workers of the upazila health complex there all having contracted coronavirus. However, the hospital has not been officially declared closed.
The private Meghna General Hospital in Bhairab pourashava has also suspended its medical services.
With 3 physicians and 7 health workers testing positive for COVID-19 in Karimganj of Kishoreganj district, the local health complex has been temporarily shut down and a public notice was posted in this regard. Also in this district, 4 physicians and 8 health workers of Tarail health complex have also tested positive and so medical service has ground to a halt there too.
Abu Taher of the village Bhadur in the upazila said his wife’s labour pains began on Tuesday and he took her to the upazila health complex in the afternoon. After carrying out certain tests, the physician said that she would require surgery. But later he was told that the physician who was to perform the surgery was in home quarantine and so could not operate.
The highest number health workers who have contracted the virus is at Kishoreganj, with 95 cases. Next is Narayanganj with 40 COVID-19 cases among the health workers there. Speaking over cell phone to Prothom Alo on Friday, secretary general of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), Ehteshamul Huq Chowdhury, said that so far 480 health workers all over the country had tested positive for coronavirus. This included 221 physicians and 68 nurses.
Director (hospitals) of the health directorate, Aminul Hasan, told Prothom Alo that they had not received information that any government hospital around the country had been completely shut down. He said if service at any department of any hospital comes to a halt, then they consult the relevant civil surgeon and make alternative arrangements to restart the department as soon as possible.
For over one week, all surgery has been on hold at the Ramganj health complex in Laxmipur. One physician and 3 health workers of this complex are in isolation. Another physician is in home quarantine. That is why their authorities have held up all surgeries there since 17 April. Abu Taher of the village Bhadur in the upazila said his wife’s labour pains began on Tuesday and he took her to the upazila health complex in the afternoon. After carrying out certain tests, the physician said that she would require surgery. But later he was told that the physician who was to perform the surgery was in home quarantine and so could not operate.
The outdoor department of Jamalpur’s 250-bed general hospital has been closed for the past 10 days. Its emergency department is only functioning.
The Mymensingh Medical College Hospital’s medicine department, kidney dialysis unit and an operation theatre of the gynaecology department have been declared closed. Civil surgeon ABM Mashiul Alam on Thursday told Prothom Alo that there were 64 coronavirus patients in the district, if which 37 were health workers.
Three clinics in Modhukhali of Faridpur district are shut down. One unit of Meherpur General Hospital is closed. In the Lohagara health complex of Narail, 5 health workers including a physician have been infected and so the outdoor department is closed.
In Sherpur, with two physicians of the Nakla upazila health complex and one health worker of the Nalitabari health complex having rested COVID-19 positive, treatment at these two hospitals have been declared shut.
Mithapukur upazila health complex is providing limited service as 2 of his physicians and 1 nurse have contracted the virus. Sonatola upazila health complex has also limited its services with its health workers also infected.
Three clinics in Modhukhali of Faridpur district are shut down. One unit of Meherpur General Hospital is closed. In the Lohagara health complex of Narail, 5 health workers including a physician have been infected and so the outdoor department is closed.
With a worker at Cumilla’s Burichang health complex contracting coronavirus, all departments of the hospital, expect the emergency department, have been closed. Metropolitan Model Hospital in Cumilla town is also closed.
With 1 physician and 2 nurses contracting the virus in Habiganj’s Lakhai upazila health complex, on Tuesday the hospital declared its services closed for a week. Habiganj civil surgeon AKM Mustafizur Rahman on Thursday told Prothom Alo that that they were looking into alternative means to provide treatment.
The outdoor department of the Fatikchhari health complex in Chattogram has shut down after a doctor was confirmed to have coronavirus. The upazila health and family planning officer Md Ilyas Chowdhury said they were trying to restart the outdoor department on Saturday.
(Staff correspondents and correspondents from the various districts helped in compiling this report.)