More than two and a half months after the government declared Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital at the capital's Mohakhali a designated hospital to treat Covid-19 patients, hospital authorities said they have started providing treatment since Wednesday.

While other dedicated hospitals fighting Covid-19 are struggling to treat patients, especially to provide ICU support, as the country is witnessing sharp rise in cases, the hospital, with 13 ICU beds, has so far admitted only one patient till 5:00pm yesterday.

"One patient was admitted to ICU of the hospital. However, no other general patient was admitted till now," hospital director Prof Faruque Ahmed told The Daily Star yesterday, adding, "We will admit any Covid-19 patient who requires hospitalisation." 

Health authorities, along with several other hospitals, in March declared the 250-bed new health care centre as a dedicated hospital to treat coronavirus-infected patients.

In the meantime, several media ran reports that the government is going to prepare a hospital to treat VIPs and foreign diplomats who would be infected with the deadly virus. But, the health minister refuted the news and said the government has no such plan.

WHY THE WAIT?

Why the gastro-liver institute waited over two months to admit patients, while other hospitals were struggling to accommodate, remains unexplained.

Prof Faruque said, "I don't want to recall previous issues. I have talked about it a lot. We were ready but we did not get permission to admit patients. Now, we were asked to admit patients. So we are open," he said.

In the meantime, the hospital has installed a central oxygen system and eight more ICU beds.

In April, hospital authorities wrote to the health ministry for hiring 150 staffers on an immediate basis and the process is now at its final stage, health ministry sources said.

Currently, the hospital has 106 doctors and 247 nurses, of whom 90 are pregnant or lactating mothers and would not be able to provide service for now. There are 70 other staffers, including medical technologists.

Speaking to the media on several occasions, the hospital authorities said there are a 120 beds designated for patients of highly infectious diseases, which are ready to provide treatments for Covid-19 patients.

On a private television channel ATN News on May 22, the hospital's joint director Golam Kibria said, "We have completed our preparations to provide treatment."

He said they have already ensured ICU beds, central oxygen supply system for the patients, and provided necessary training to their doctors, nurses and general staffers to keep themselves protected from coronavirus.

They even prepared residential and quarantine facilities for staffers, in case any health worker develops Covid-19 symptoms, he said.

Asked whether there would be any VIP issues, Dr Faruque said, "No. There would be no classification [of patients]. We will admit any Covid-19 patient should they require hospitalisation."

Meanwhile, the health ministry on Thursday sent a letter to the finance ministry requesting it to allow the hospital to hire 150 health workers through outsourcing.

In the letter, the health ministry said hiring 150 staffer thorough a tender process would be time-consuming and to facilitate emergency Covid-19 treatment, the finance ministry should allow the hospital to hire the manpower directly.

"The proposal is still at the finance ministry," Faruque said.