District hospitals to be ready to tackle Covid’s 2nd wave: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the government is getting all the district hospitals ready with ICUs and oxygen supplies to provide healthcare services to people in the case of Covid-19 pandemic in the upcoming winter, reports UNB. 

“The outbreak of Coronavirus began last winter. It may resurge in the upcoming winter. Keeping it in mind, we’re arranging all sorts of medical services, including setting up of ICUs and ensuring oxygen in every district hospital,” she said.

The Prime Minister said this while formally opening the spectacular Itna-Mithamoin-Austagram all-weather road in Kishoreganj to traffic using the digital platform.

She inaugurated the 29.73-km beautiful road through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban in the capital.

Sheikh Hasina said the government instantly recruited some 2,000 doctors, 3000 nurses and a good number of health technicians following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The road constructed at a cost of Tk 874.08 crore connects three upazilas of Kishoreganj -- Itna, Mithamoin and Austagram.

The Itna-Mithamoin-Austagram road goes straight through the vast haor area in parallel with Dhanu and Baulai rivers starting from Itna Upazila Sadar to Austagram via Mithamoin Upazila.

The road has already been turned into one of the most beautiful destinations for travellers, holidaymakers and thrill-seekers before its formal inauguration.

A huge number of tourists flock regularly to the area to enjoy the scenic beauty of the road and its surrounding Haor areas.

Almost half of Kishoreganj district, including four of its six upazilas -- Itna, Mithamoin, Austagram, and Nikli -- is designated as a completely haor area, unique wetland ecosystems that during the monsoon resemble vast inland seas.

In 2016, President Abdul Hamid inaugurated the construction of the road in his ancestral district.

The road will also be connected to Sylhet-Brahmanbaria road in the future and a plan has been taken to build a flyover on it.

The road, popularly known as the ‘Haor Road’, paved the way for direct road connectivity between the haor region and other parts of the country, including Dhaka, Sylhet and Chattogram.

Later, the Prime Minister exchanged views with local people who were connected from Mithamoin Upazila. Local MPs and local dignitaries of Kishoreganj district were present at the Mithamoin end.

While exchanging views with local people, the PM said the road is a gift on behalf of President Abdul Hamid in the Mujib Borsha (Mujib Year).

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader delivered the welcome speech at the inaugural function conducted by PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus.

Road Transport and Highway Division Secretary Md Nazrul Islam made an audio-visual presentation over the road project.

The Roads and Highways Department implemented the road project that includes the 29.732-km main highway, three PC girder bridges, 11 RCC Girder bridges, 62 RCC box-culverts, Road protection dams and land acquisition.