Hosting Doctors: Hoteliers do their part
Arif Motahar, the founding chairman of Hotel Regency, was recently diagnosed with Covid-19 though he has not left his hotel for the last two months.
Not just him -- at least five of his employees were also infected with Covid-19.
"Since the beginning of the pandemic, we began hosting doctors and nurses. We [he and his staff] are also not going out of the hotel to keep our family members safe. Now, we got infected," Arif told The Daily Star over the phone yesterday.
A total of 220 doctors have been staying in the hotel since May 1.
"Almost 50 percent of our total staff got infected and most of them recovered. Even after this, we are providing services to our clients," Arif said.
Each staff member works for 15 days and remains in isolation for the next 14 days, he said, yet the hotel is paying full salaries.
The government has arranged hotels for doctors and nurses, who are on the frontline of the fight against the novel coronavirus, to stay in.
This arrangement was made as hospitals do not have any residential facilities and medical workers going home after completing duty every day pose the threat of infection to their family members.
Hotel Lakeshore has also seen staff infected with Covid-19, despite taking precautions.
Kazi Tareq Shams, managing director of Lakeshore Hotels, said around 109 doctors stayed in its two hotels in Gulshan and Banani.
"Around 300 employees work here and around seven percent got infected while they were providing services," he added.
Shams said, "We maintained hygiene properly and all staff wear PPE while serving the doctors."
MJ Rahman Jahid, general manager of Hotel Shalimar Group, said a total of 270 medical workers are staying in the four hotels of the group.
"Around 60 staff work in those hotels and 25 percent got infected with coronavirus. Apart from this, some staff had mild symptoms but they have now recovered," he said.
Neaz Morshed, front desk manager of Hotel 71, said 43 doctors have been staying at the hotel since April 20.
"We are very careful and till now, there has been no infection," he added.
Contacted, Md Aminul Hasan, who was until yesterday director (hospitals and clinics) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said doctors and nurses are staying at around 35 hotels across the country and hotel staff are providing services risking their lives.
"Although they are providing services taking precautions -- even after that it is risky and the hotel staff came forward to provide this service. It is praiseworthy."
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