No space will be left in hospitals if Covid infections keep rising: health minister

There will be no space left in the hospitals for patients if the Covid-19 infections continue to rise, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque today.

"We do not want the number of patients to increase. To reduce the number of patients, we have to reduce the infection," he said following his visit to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Convention Centre today.

Everyone should abide by the restrictions during the ongoing lockdown to reduce infection, he added.

Mentioning that the infection rate has been increasing in many places, he said, "If the infection continues to increase like this, there will be no place left in hospitals."

"If the coronavirus situation is not brought under control, it will harm the country's economy, which we do not want. Therefore, there is no alternative to following the health safety rules," the minister said.

He also urged people to stay aware of the spike in dengue cases, recently.

"Seventy-five percent of the patients admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka recently are holidaymakers who have returned from villages after Eid," he also said.

The minister said the BSMMU field hospital with 1,000 beds, including 200 ICUs and HDUs, will start operation from next Saturday, said the report.

He also said the government is planning to designate hospitals for dengue treatment considering the sensitivity of the situation.