Prevent artificial oxygen crisis in Bangladesh, urges technical advisory committee on Covid-19

The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 has alerted the government regarding artificial oxygen crisis in the country.

The committee recommended that the government realise its plans soon to prevent such crisis. It came up with the recommendation in a meeting chaired by Prof Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, head of the committee, according to a press release issued in this regard.

The other recommendations by the committee include:

1. Building a maternity unit in the newly opened 1200-bed Mohakhali DNCC Hospital.

2. Speedy implementation of government's initiative regarding treating coronavirus infected pregnant women at different hospitals.

3. Taking initiative for the district hospitals to have intensive care units and central oxygen supply.

4. Ensuring 14-day institutional quarantine of India-returnees and strengthen surveillance on border areas with the neighbouring country.

5. Ensuring 14-day quarantine of people arriving from any of the countries with high infection rates.

6. Taking tougher measures to make sure the rules and regulations imposed by the government to curb infections are maintained.

7. As the price of testing kits has lessened, re-evaluating testing costs in private sectors to increase number of testing.

8. Preparing new set of doctors in the country for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. Ensuring doctors can move freely during lockdown and have necessary numbers of standard PPE.

9. Solving manpower crisis in the sector of fourth-class medical staff and hiring more nurses.