Covid-19: Police hospital, DMP struggling to accommodate infected, quarantined
After enduring Covid-19 infection for 10 days, Monirul tested negative on April 22.
He was supposed to stay at the Central Police Hospital in Dhaka's Rajarbagh area two to three days more. But a constable of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Monirul, asked doctors for an early release.
The doctors also agreed, as the hospital was overcrowded with patients, and let him go to his Bashabo home on that day.
"I was afraid that I would get infected again as the hospital was overcrowded with my infected peers. So, I decided to go home," Monirul told The Daily Star yesterday.
"Besides, I thought me leaving would make space for another patient," he added.
With more and more police personnel being infected with the highly contagious virus, the 250-bed police hospital in Dhaka is struggling to accommodate patients.
At least 677 police personnel -- mostly from Dhaka Metropolitan Police or police's other units working in Dhaka -- have been infected so far while performing their duties. Of them, 141 were infected in the last 24 hours alone.
Besides, more than 1,200 others are either in isolation or quarantine, Police Headquarters sources said.
Four police personnel who were infected with the virus have died so far.
"The government should set up another temporary hospital for police personnel -- frontline fighters during this crisis," said another constable who is now being treated at the police hospital.
"We were initially provided fruits and other nutritious food items apart from the regular meals... As the number of patients increased, the amount of foodstuff has decreased," he said, preferring anonymity.
The standard of service at the hospital has been compromised as well, he added.
"The police hospital is not big… There are not enough doctors and nurses to care for so many patients in the best possible way. Yet, we are trying our level best," DMP Commissioner Shafiqul Islam told The Daily Star yesterday.
Hospital Director Hasan ul Haider, also a Deputy Inspector General of Police, said they are facing accommodation crisis as around 450 patients are in the hospital against its 250 beds.
As most of the infected persons are from DMP, it has arranged some spaces for isolation and quarantine centres elsewhere, he added.
"It will be almost impossible to provide treatment to police personnel in this hospital if the infection among police continues to rise as the current trend shows," said an official of the hospital, preferring anonymity.
Police members have been exposed while trying to ensure social and physical distancing since the countrywide shutdown began.
DMP'S ACCOMMODATION AT HOTELS, SCHOOLS
When the hospital is struggling to deal with positive patients, DMP is facing problems to keep its force members, who were in close contact with infected ones, in isolation and quarantine.
DMP have rented at least seven hotels for isolation and several schools to put police personnel in quarantine as the barracks are already overcrowded.
Talking to The Daily Star, a number of field-level police personnel said the government should focus on the accommodation and food for the police men and women in isolation and quarantine.
"We risk our lives to keep people safe. It is time the government keeps us safe," said an assistant commissioner of the DMP.
"Many work in DMP but their families live in villages. So, they don't have access to homemade food… Many of the infected express their helplessness and frustrations when I speak to them," the police official added.
DMP Commissioner Shafiqul said they made arrangements at schools for quarantine as the barracks are already overcrowded, with almost double their capacity.
"The infected are being admitted to the police hospital. Tracing their contacts, we are putting them in quarantine at schools," he said
"When any policeman in quarantine shows flu-like symptoms, we separate them from others and shift them to rented rooms at the hotels," he said.
"They later go for Covid-19 tests. Those found infected are moved to police hospital, while those who test negative are shifted to Rajarbagh Police Lines School," the commissioner said.
He said they are trying their level best to provide improved diet including eggs, milk, bananas and others fruits in addition to regular meals.
Meanwhile, police officers have been asked to talk to their force members so that they do not feel demoralised.
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