Shut down all unauthorised hospitals, clinics
The health directorate has asked civil surgeons to ensure that all unauthorised private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres are shut down as soon as possible.
The order comes at a time when nearly 3,000 private healthcare-providing organisations have failed to apply online for licences within the August 23 deadline.
As per a decision made in a meeting between Health Minister Zahid Maleque and DGHS Director General Prof ABM Khurshid Alam on Sunday, the hospital and clinics unit of the DGHS sent the order to civil surgeons the next day, Farid Hossain Miah, director of the unit, said yesterday evening.
Earlier around noon, following a meeting at the health ministry, the DGHS boss told reporters that government officials would visit all private healthcare establishments soon, reports UNB.
Asked about it, Farid said, "Nearly 13,000 such organisations applied online for licences within the deadline. We've information that there are nearly 2,800 others who did not apply. Those will be closed as soon as possible.
"There are probably some other establishments, which are not on this list. We will have to work on this. We need some time as we are already overburdened with work due to a lack of manpower amid the pandemic."
Following a meeting with the owners of private hospitals on August 9, Health Secretary Abdul Mannan said all private medical colleges, hospitals and clinics must apply for licences -- either to renew them or get new ones -- by August 23.
The announcement came after the much-talked-about Regent Hospital scam involving Covid-19 tests came to light during the first week of July.
Talking to journalists yesterday, the DGHS boss said they had issued licences to 6,067 private healthcare establishments. Of those, 2,130 were hospitals, 3,856 diagnostic centers and 81 blood banks.
About the death of a senior assistant superintendent of Police (ASP) Anisul Karim in Mind and Hospital in the capital recently, Prof Khurshid said, "They [the hospital] said they got licence from the Department of Narcotics Control. But they must be authoritised by the DGHS to provide any mental heathcare. That's why we have shut it down."
COVID-19 DEATH
TOLL KEEPS GROWING
Covid-19 death toll in the country rose to 6,127 as the health directorate reported 19 deaths in 24 hours ending at 8:00am yesterday.
The death rate is 1.44 percent of all confirmed cases in the country -- 4,25,353, according to a statement from the DGHS.
As many as 1,733 infections were recorded in the same 24 hours, it said.
Bangladesh is now 22nd worst affected country in the world in terms of the number of coronavirus cases, according to worldometers.info.
On March 8, the DGHS reported the first three cases in the country. It reported the first Covid-19-caused death on March 18.
Against 14,524 tests conducted in those 24 hours at 114 labs, the positivity rate was 11.93 percent, while the overall positivity rate was 17.12 percent.
Meanwhile, 1,715 Covid-19 patients recovered in the same 24 hours, raising the total number of recoveries to 3,43,131. It was more than 80 percent of all confirmed cases, according to the press release.
Among the deceased, 16 were males and three were females.
All of them died in hospitals.
Seven of them were aged between 51 and 60 years while the rest were above 60 years old.
As of yesterday noon, 2,521 patients were undergoing treatment in general beds while 273 in ICU beds hospitals dedicated for Covid-19 treatment across the country, added the press release.
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