The national technical advisory committee to check COVID-19 has suggested testing for the infection be increased further, alongside faster and more efficient delivery of the test reports.
“The technical committee has suggested increasing the number of coronavirus tests and reducing the time of reporting,” said Health Minister Zahid Maleque, who briefed reporters after the latest meeting on Tuesday of the 17-member committee at the Health Ministry.
Mentioning that the government has over the last one month increased the number of daily tests to around the 6,000 a day, facilitated by the designation of 33 laboratories across the country, health minister said the government was still receptive to the suggestion. “We’ve accepted it and will take stronger measures in this regard (to implement the suggestion of the committee).”
About loosening lockdown, the technical committee will place its considered opinions over withdrawal of lockdown. “Receiving their opinions, we’ll put these forward to the proper authorities,” Maleque added.
“They will provide their recommendations regarding lockdown soon,” he said.
Noting that it can be presumed that the infection rate will go up to some extent with the opening of garments factories, shops and markets, the health minister said: “We’ll have to keep it under control as much as possible. Our word is both life and livelihood will go together.”
“The Health Ministry will keep trying so that the number of patients does not go exponentially high. Our mandate is to ensure proper treatment for patients and keep them properly as well as provide suggestions so that infection rate will not increase,” he went on.
The committee will also give a clear opinion on how to observe the actual holiday that people look forward to all year-round, during the upcoming Eid-ul Fitr vacation, according to the Health Minister.
The other notable suggestion of the committee from today’s meeting was to ask the government to pay attention to the disproportionately large number of doctors/physicians contracted coronavirus.
In this context, they suggested that the physicians and other health workers should be more careful over infection during the times of wearing and taking off personal protective equipment (PPE), said Zahid Maleque.
The committee said no patients should go back from hospitals without receiving treatment, he said, adding that though the government issued directives in this regard two months ago, now it will put more importance on the issue.
The technical committee also suggested the government enhancing the number of 4th class employees in different hospitals, said the minister adding that the Prime Minister has already on Monday issued directives to them for recruiting more employees there.
In the meeting, the committee recommended resolving the problems of physicians, nurses and other health workers and encouraging them further, he said.
They have asked for communications interconnectivity among all COVID-19 hospitals for the sake of better management, quick solution to any problem and receiving information on latest situation, he said.
On April 19 last, the government formed the national technical advisory committee to tackle the outbreak of novel coronavirus in the country.