Ctg private hospitals yet to join the fight

The private clinic owners' association of Chattogram was supposed to open a 100-bed hospital only for Covid-19 patients in port city on April 25 but it is now uncertain from when the hospital will begin its operations.

Contacted, Dr Liakat Ali Khan, general secretary of the association, yesterday told The Daily Star that they have set up 30 beds. 

Citizens and rights activists in the port city have expressed their concern over the delay in opening the hospital.

On April 4, the office of Chattogram divisional director of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a gazette notification where it was mentioned that the government dedicated 12 private hospitals in Chattogram for ICU support of Covid-19 patients.

Following this, the private clinics owners' association initiated a new move with a proposal to divisional  health chief where they said instead of using 12 hospitals, they would dedicate a 100-bed hospital for Covid-19 patients, said sources.

They started to renovate Holy Crescent Hospital in Khulshi area, which was left abandoned for several years. The move started on April 5, the day after issuance of the gazette notification. They promised to open the hospital with a 20-bed ICU facility by April 25, but it's yet to see the light of day.

"We don't understand what the problem is... we saw some hurried activities from the owners of private clinics when government issued a gazette notification for requisition of 12 private clinics for Covid-19 patients but now we're seeing a clear lack of effort from them," said SM Nazer Hossain, central vice president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).

"The sooner the hospital opens, the better it will be for patients showing coronavirus symptoms," he told The Daily Star.

Asked, Dr Liakat said they prepared 30 isolation beds and 10 ICU beds so far. "We are ready  to open the hospital and waiting for government approval," he said.

Asked about the promised 100 beds and 20 ICU beds, Liakat said capacity of the hospital would be increased gradually.

Contacted, Chattogram Civil Surgeon Dr Seikh Fazle Rabbi said the clinic owners attended a meeting with them on April 25 and asked for logistical support to open the hospital. "We asked them to give us a formal proposal on April 26 but they are yet to submit it," he told The Daily Star on Tuesday.

Asked yesterday, Liakat said the proposal was ready. "We will submit it tomorrow.".

Contacted, Dr Hasan Shahriar Kabir, Chattogram divisional director of DGHS, said if the private clinic owners fail to open the hospital on time, the authorities would further initiate a move for requisition of private hospitals for Covid-19 patients. They will have to run the hospital following a government guideline.

Two government hospitals -- Chattogram General Hospital with a capacity of 100 isolation beds and 10 ICU beds and Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases with a capacity of 50 isolation beds -- are dedicated to attend to Covid-19 patients in Chattogram.

Besides, Chattogram Field Hospital, a privately initiated hospital in Salimpur of Sitakunda upazila, with a capacity of 60 beds is also open for both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients with symptoms of coughing and breathing problems.