733 ICU beds in govt hospitals
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) yesterday informed the High Court that government hospitals across the country have a total of 733 intensive care units (ICU) beds.
Of those, 235 ICU beds have been set up at 17 government hospitals since February this year for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Amit Talukder told the court during the hearing of a writ petition.
He also said the DGHS prescribes treatment to coronavirus patients through hotlines and centrally monitors the treatment management.
The information was placed before the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim as per its June 8 order, following a virtual hearing on a writ petition filed by the Deputy Registrar Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.
On June 8, the HC bench wanted to know the number of ICU beds at all the government and private hospitals across the country, how the beds are distributed among patients and how the government is prescribing and monitoring treatment of Covid-19 patients centrally.
Earlier, Sheikh Abdullah submitted a writ petition requesting the HC to direct the government to acquire the ICU beds of the private hospitals and to form a central bed bureau in order to provide treatment to Covid-19 patients properly.
Advocate Yeadia Zaman appeared for the writ petitioner while Additional Attorney General Murad Reza represented the state.
On June 14, the next hearing on this writ petition and two other separate writ petitions filed over the management of oxygen supply in the hospitals will be held.
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