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Published : 12 Jun 2025, 12:06 AM
With a fresh uptick in coronavirus cases, Chattogram’s two designated COVID-19 hospitals face a severe equipment crisis, putting intensive care out of reach for critical patients.
Both Chattogram General Hospital and the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) are running without a single functional ventilator.
At Chattogram General Hospital, all 18 intensive care unit (ICU) beds remain vacant as none of the ventilators are in working condition.
The ICU service has effectively been shut since early April.
BITID in Faujdarhat has five ICU beds, but lacks ventilator support entirely.
Most of the kits currently available in Chattogram are expired, leaving public testing services largely paralysed.
Health officials say the situation, including a shortage of functional COVID test kits, has been reported to the authorities in Dhaka.
They are hopeful the situation will improve soon.
When Chattogram General Hospital was first designated for COVID treatment in mid-March 2020, it lacked both ICU beds and ventilators.
Later that month, 10 ICU beds with ventilators were added, becoming operational in June 2020.
By April 2021, eight more ICU beds were added, bringing the total to 18.
All ventilators, however, have since stopped working.
These machines are essential for those with severely-compromised respiratory systems, requiring assistance to breathe artificially.
On Tuesday, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported three new COVID cases in Chattogram, with a fourth case confirmed by Wednesday noon.
In response to the situation, Chattogram City Mayor Shahadat Hossain convened an emergency meeting with all stakeholders to coordinate preparations.
Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday, the mayor said: “As before, Chattogram General Hospital is being designated as the dedicated COVID hospital.
“In addition, Chattogram Medical College Hospital has a dedicated COVID section that will also treat patients.”
He also directed health authorities to urgently prepare Memon-2 Hospital, operated by Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), for COVID care, and ensure full readiness at Chattogram Medical College Hospital’s dedicated COVID section.
Chattogram General Hospital Civil Surgeon Jahangir Alam told bdnews24.com: “all ventilators are out of service. Ventilators are essential to keep ICU services operational.
“The matter has already been reported to Dhaka. We expect some resolution by Monday.”
The 250-bed hospital has oxygen supply systems, cylinders, and high-flow nasal cannulas in place.
Dr Jahangir said efforts are under way to make the hospital fully equipped as a dedicated COVID centre.
BIITD’s Clinical Tropical Medicine department head Md Mamunur Rashid said their five ICU beds are not fully functional because there are no ventilators.
He, however, noted that BITID has its own oxygen plant and necessary support equipment like high-flow nasal cannulas, which are being readied again.
“Based on our past COVID experience, we’re preparing accordingly,” Mamaunur said.
“No patients have arrived yet. Initially, we’ll treat patients in a 10-bed unit, and a survey team has started preparing the equipment,” he added.
