Sushanta Ghosh

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Barishal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) authorities found itself in a waste disposal conundrum as the city corporation has stopped collecting waste from the hospital.

A one-storey structure being constructed using plastic bottles at Rajihar in Barishal’s Agailjhara upazila is fast becoming the talk of the entire district.

With the doom and gloom surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic slowly subsiding, the west bank of Barishal’s Kirtankhola river has started to see increased activity.

A large number of paved roads in Barishal city are in poor shape, with the monsoon season is bringing out the worst in these.

Almost two-thirds of the treatment seekers, who died after admission to the Corona unit of Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) during the last four months, were actually suffering from diseases other than Covid-19.

Barishal division’s only RT-PCR lab, set up at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, is struggling to examine samples, as the demand for Covid-19 tests rises.

Last Monday, there was a fire on the ground floor of coronavirus unit at Barishal’s Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. While there were thankfully no casualties, the incident exposed the hospital’s unpreparedness in the case of fires.

Defying official order, all kitchen markets in Barishal city are bustling with people as vendors have opened shop again, a month after they were shifted to open spaces due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Filling up of a part of a century-old waterbody allegedly by a former local public representative has caused an uproar among concerned citizens and activists in Barishal.

The shortage of trained manpower at intensive care units (ICUs) compromises proper treatment of Covid-19 patients, among others, at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal.

A team of dedicated people belonging to Quantum Foundation (QF) are performing funerals of Covid-19 victims, setting a laudable example of humanity at a time when even family members sometimes become too scared to reach the deceased’s body.

A special deck has been introduced on a passenger launch running on Barguna-Dhaka route, to maintain social distancing among passengers.

The special Open Market Sale (OMS) programme to provide rice at Tk 10 per kg started in April to help those outside safety net during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The economic hardships due to the countrywide shutdown are pushing many towards extreme poverty. As unemployment mounts, many are being forced to innovate to find a way to sustain their lives.

A two-month government ban on catching hilsa at six estuaries in the country’s southern region ended last night, paving the way for fishermen to catch the national fish.

On April 15, an elderly person was admitted to the medicine ward of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal in an unconscious state.

Police yesterday recovered the body of a senior doctor of Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) from the bottom of an elevator shaft at Mamata Specialised Hospital in Barishal city.

Shakil (25) and Samta (22) are a gypsy couple. Together with their child and two more families, the gypsy troupe of 11 travel from one area to another, never staying in one place for long. Locally known as “Jajabars”, they earn their bread by collecting and selling valuable items lost in rivers, ponds, and canals.

Like the kingfisher dive-bombs into rivers to prey on small fish, these boys plunge into the Kirtankhola to collect stray watermelons every day of the season.

After a short-lived respite from mosquitoes and dengue, residents of different parts of Barishal are now again enduring the menace as the number of mosquitoes has been on the rise.