The Covid-dedicated hospitals in Dhaka are finding it difficult to cope with the surge of critical patients from nearby as well as far-flung districts.
Doctors at the Covid-dedicated hospitals said 50 per cent of the beds are now occupied by patients from outside districts.
Most district hospitals with their very limited capacity, in terms of medical equipment, qualified professionals and logistics, are now overwhelmed by the onrush of patients. Finding no place there, many critical patients are being rushed to Dhaka with a hope of getting beds in the intensive care units (ICUs). But the ICU beds have become scarce.
Half of the district hospitals do not have ICU beds. What is worse many district hospitals do not have central oxygen supply system. High-flow nasal cannulas are in short supply. The same is true in the case of oxygen concentrators.
The district hospitals have been facing immense pressure amid growing number of critical patients coming from the countryside regularly.
Shahina Akhtar, 45, from Lakshmipur, was tested positive about three weeks ago and her condition continued to deteriorate, but failed to get an ICU bed at the two government hospitals in the district.
"So, we had to bring her to a private hospital in Dhaka," her nephew Mansur Alam told the FE.
On Tuesday, Shahina was shifted to the high-dependency unit (HDU) of Social Islami Bank Hospital at Dhanmondi, following 14 days of treatment at the ICU of Ibn Sina Hospital in the city.
There are a total of 1,217 ICU beds across the country, including 839 in Dhaka. Allegations have it these figures do not tell the whole truth about the ICU beds.
Of the 16 government hospitals in the capital, 14 have 385 ICU beds and two have only general beds. As of Wednesday last, the DNCC Covid hospital had 75 ICU beds and four other hospitals 10 beds vacant.
The private hospitals have 137 ICU beds out of 452 beds were vacant as of Wednesday.
Dr Ali Abrar, assistant director at Bangladesh Specialised Hospital in Dhaka, told the FE that there was no vacant ICU bed in his hospital as of Wednesday.
He said there will be problem in the event of patients in the general beds requiring ICU beds.
"Now, 50 per cent of the patients are from outside Dhaka city. We see Covid patients waiting in a long queue for getting admitted which we've not seen any time before," he added.
"We don't have oxygen scarcity in the city hospitals, but a new crisis could emerge due to lack of central oxygen support setup. Oxygen in cylinders cannot be an alternative," said Dr Ali Abrar.
Dr Asaduzzaman Asad, a neurology resident at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), who attends patients at the hospital's Covid section, informed the FE on Wednesday that the beds in the ICU as well as the general section for covid patients were fully occupied on the day.
"We can offer a seat only upon creating a vacancy after recovery of existing patients. But it takes at least 14 days for a patient to recover," he added.
Dr Asad, who also has served the district-level hospitals, said about half of the district hospitals do not have central oxygen plants, thus it would not be possible for them to setup high-flow nasal cannulas.
The high-flow nasal cannula cannot be operated through cylinder oxygen, he explained.
"We need to set up as many as 20 ICU beds at the district hospitals as most of the district hospitals do not have ICU facilities," he suggested.
Meanwhile, there is a shortage of oxygen compared to the demand for the same.
The government has a capacity to supply around 210 tonnes of liquid oxygen daily as against the demand for about 230 tonnes daily.
Dr Robed Amid, spokespersons of the DGHS, told the FE that the government has started training programmes for the health professionals, but the situation would not change overnight as the government has a limited capacity.
He said there are 36 districts having central oxygen connections and the government was trying to extend the facilities to other districts.
"There is a demand for about 190 tonnes of liquid oxygen daily and we have a capacity of 210 tonnes. If the infections continue to surge, there would be an oxygen crisis as we cannot arrange more than 250 tonnes right now. Efforts are being made to raise the capacity," he added.
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