DNCC kitchen market to be turned into Covid-19 dedicated hospital: Health minister

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the Dhaka North City Corporation kitchen market in Mohakhali will be turned into a makeshift hospital dedicated for novel coronavirus patients.

"It will have around 50 ICU beds and more than 1,000 Covid-19 patients can be treated at the hospital," said the minister while talking to reporters at a meeting with the owners of private hospitals this evening.

Moreover, three specialised public hospitals -- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Kidney Diseases and Urology -- will also open units dedicated for coronavirus patients with 100 beds each.

Zahid Maleque reaffirmed that the ministry is doing everything in its power to curb the "dramatic" rise in Covid-19 cases.

"An additional 2,500 beds will be increased in the hospitals of the capital to treat Covid-19 patients within a very short time. Moreover, central oxygen line has been provided to 90 hospitals," he said.

The minister also urged people to consider Covid-19 hospitals adjacent to Dhaka city to reduce pressure on the capitals' hospitals.

"There are similar medical facilities in Gazipur, Manikganj and some other districts around Dhaka. Patients can be admitted to those hospitals," he said.

The minister said if the authorities fail to do anything about the source of the massive spread of Covid-19 cases, then it would be impossible to bring the situation under control even if they turn the entire Dhaka city into hospitals.

"People are visiting tourist destinations, attending weddings and social events without maintaining any health guidelines. If this continues, then it will not be possible to curb the spread of Covid-19."

He said the steps taken by the health authorities were effective in restricting Covid-19 in Bangladesh which resulted in lower cases in February. But people became lethargic afterwards, which was the main reason for increase in coronavirus cases.

The minister expressed his concern by saying if the situation goes beyond the authorities' control, then it would be very difficult to bring life back to normal.