Bangladesh plans to treat some COVID patients at hotel as hospitals run out of beds

The Bangladesh government is planning to rent hotel for the treatment of coronavirus patients who do not essentially require hospitalisation as the healthcare facilities run out of beds.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 August 2021, 08:25 PM
Updated : 3 August 2021, 08:25 PM

Not all patients need hospitalisation, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said after a high-level government meeting to set the next course of action in tackling the pandemic amid devastating surge in deadly cases. 

“We are thinking about renting hotels for these patients,” he said, and added the hotels will be equipped with doctors, nurses, drugs and limited medical oxygen supply.

“Because the hospitals don’t have vacancy, and there is no room for more hospitals. We are searching for hotels.” 

As much as 90 percent of the general beds and 95 percent of the intensive care units are occupied, according to him.

The meeting decided to extend the ongoing lockdown by five days to Aug 10 as the number of patients waiting for treatment at hospitals is increasing due to a lack of beds.

Bangladesh reported 15,776 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the daily count on Tuesday, raising the tally to 1,296,093. The death toll rose by 235 to 21,397.