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Largest Covid hospital opens


Published : 18 Apr 2021 10:00 PM

The government on Sunday unveiled the largest Covid-19 dedicated hospital in the country as the number of cases continued to rise.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque opened the 1000-bed Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Hospital in Mohakhali.

The hospital has 212 ICU beds, 250-bedded high-dependency unit, and 438 Covid-19 isolation rooms, among others.

Besides, there are 50 emergency beds – 30 for male and 20 for female – patients, RT PCR lab, pathology lab, radiotherapy centers, X-ray facilities and many more facilities in the hospital, the minister said while inaugurating the hospital.

The hospital is set up in a vacant 180,560 sq ft six story building of Mohakhali Kacha Market.

It is being used as a Covid-19 testing center for the foreign travelers. That service will remain as it is.

DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam, Secretary of Health Service Division Lokman Hossain Mian, Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and director of the DNCC hospital Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin, among others, were present at the function.

Bangladesh on Sunday recorded the highest number of 102 deaths from Covid-19 for the third consecutive day since its first detection on March 8 last year.

Some 3,698 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the DGHS.

The health minister said Bangladesh is facing the second wave like other countries of the world.

“Almost all hospitals in the country are filled with COVID-19 patients as both infections and fatalities caused by the virus are gradually increasing,” he said, adding that it was urgent to extend healthcare facilities to treat COVID-19 patients.

He said the government had prepared the DNCC market as a dedicated one within a short time installing all modern equipment to protect lives of people.

“At such a difficult time, under the direction of the Prime Minister, this market of DNCC has been inaugurated as a full-fledged Covid-19 Dedicated Hospital. The total number of beds for Covid patients in this hospital is 1000,” he said.

The hospital has been prepared in 20 days. On the inaugural day, 260 beds wwere ready to take patients.

 The health minister said the hospital would be fully operational by April 29.

 He also highlighted the government’s preparations to fight off the pandemic and said central oxygen has been introduced in about 100 hospitals in the country.

 The hospital will be run by the Armed Forces Division with the support of the Ministry of Health.