39 ICU beds in Rangpur division
Even though Covid-19 cases have been rising alarmingly since the last couple of weeks in Rangpur, there is still no ICU support at the hospitals in six districts of the division.
The districts are Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha.
There are eight districts in the division and only hospitals in Dinajpur and Rangpur have the ICU support, said health officials.
In recent weeks, the number of Covid-19 infection cases in the division almost doubled, raising the demand for ICU beds in these hospitals.
The daily positivity rate was 32.03 percent on Wednesday while at least 110 people were hospitalised at different hospitals in the division with coronavirus. Of them, 24 were able to receive ICU support.
According to the director of health (Rangpur), there are only 39 ICU beds in the division -- in Dinajpur and Rangpur. The health authorities increased the number from 13 recently to deal with the influx of Covid-19 patients.
Health officials of the above mentioned six districts said they have been struggling to cope with the rising number of critically ill Covid patients.
"Can you imagine a district hospital that does not have ICU support?" said a civil surgeon wishing anonymity. "Besides, many other patients often need the ICU support, but we cannot provide that," he added.
According to health officials in Rangpur, 12 hospitals in eight districts of Rangpur are treating covid-19 patients. And, all together there are 677 beds available for that purpose.
Of them, there are 151 beds in Rangpur (100-bed Children Hospital, 20-bed Rangpur Chest Disease Hospital, 31-bed Haragach hospital), 50 in Kurigram (Modern Sadar Hospital), 96 in Lalmonirhat (12-bed Nursing Institution, 64-bed Lalmonirhat Govt College Hostel, 20-bed Railway Hospital, Lalmonirhat), 50 in Dinajpur (M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital), 50 in Panchagarh (Sadar Hospital in Panchagarh), 100 in Thakurgaon (Sadar Hospital), 80 in Gaibandha (Sadar Hospital) and 100 beds in Nilphamari (new building of 250-bed Sadar Hospital).
Of them, M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital in Dinajpur has 16 ICU beds while Children Hospital in Rangpur has 10 ICU beds.
While talking to this correspondent, civil surgeons of these districts urged the health ministry to set up ICU facilities in their respective areas.
Dr AM Aktaruzzaman, civil surgeon of Gaibandha, said his office wrote a letter to the authorities concerned to allocate ICU beds in the district.
He, however, said they also need logistical and manpower support to make the ICU functional.
Dr Fazlur Rahman, civil surgeon of Panchagarh, echoed him.
"We refer the critical Covid patients to M Abdur Rahim Hospital in Dinajpur for ICU support," he added.
The hospitals in the districts also need steady oxygen supply, the civil surgeons said.
At least 419 people have died till Wednesday, since March last year, in the division.
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