Covid-19 testing resumes at govt hospitals in Ctg

Covid-19 testing has resumed at two government hospitals in Chattogram as concerns mount over a rise in coronavirus cases across Bangladesh.

The move comes following a spike in infections reported from tests conducted in private hospitals in the port city.

The testing officially resumed yesterday at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and Chattogram General Hospital (CGH).

On Thursday, new kits for testing Covid-19 were sent to CMCH from Directorate General of Health Services.

However, mass testing is yet to start in Chattogram as only selected and suspected patients referred by physicians are only being tested in CMCH and CGH laboratories.

"We are testing only those sample of patients who are suspected of being infected with Covid-19 by the doctors in emergency and outdoor in our hospital," said CMCH Director Brig Gen Taslim Uddin.

"A ward of 50 beds with 10-ICU dedicated to Covid-19 patients have been prepared in CMCH," he said, adding, "We have all facilities for the treatment of Covid-19 patients."

Ekram Hossain, acting superintendent of CGH, said, "We are not conducting mass testing right now," adding that they have launched a fever corner in their hospital while samples of patients suspected by doctors in the corner as probable case are being tested in the laboratory.

According to CGH sources, all the ventilators of the intensive care unit (ICU) went out of order in early months of this year.

"We have initially opened a 20-bed Covid-19 ward as number of patients is still very little," Ekram said, adding, "Four patients have been undergoing treatment in the ward right now."

He said the technicians from the DGHS have been working to repair the ventilators since this morning and three ventilators have already been repaired by the afternoon.

"We could provide ICU support to patients now, if required," he said.