18 more die in RMCH Covid-19 unit

A number of 18 more people, including six women, died at Covid-19 unit of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) during the last 24 hours till 6 am today, taking the death toll to 81 in this month, reports BSS.                                             

RMCH Director Brig Gen Shamim Yazdani told newsmen that eight of those were the residents of Rajshahi, four from Naogaon, three from Natore, and one from Chapainawabganj districts.

Among the deaths, five tested Covid-19 positive and the rest 13 had its symptoms, he said, adding that yesterday's fatality figure was 12.

Yazdani said the hospital had counted a record number of 25 fatalities caused by Covid-19 on last Tuesday since the pandemic began.

Some 69 more patients, including 39 from Rajshahi, 10 from Natore, nine from Pabna, seven from Naogaon and four from Chapainawabganj, were admitted to the designated ward of the hospital afresh during the time, taking its number to 495. Another 20 patients are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

"We’ve 405 beds in the Corona dedicated wards of the hospital," he said.

“The number 4 ward of the hospital has been added to the corona unit to cope with the extra pressure. Oxygen installation works in 50 beds of the ward were completed. Patients will be admitted to the ward from today. With this, the number of beds for the Covid-19 patients stood to 455 in 14 designated wards in the hospital, Yazdani added.

Very recently, a 48-bed corona ward with a central oxygen supply system has been launched in the hospital to cope with extra pressure of the patients.

The RMCH Director opined over 60 percent of the new Covid-19 patients admitted to the Covid-19 unit of RMCH are from villages, clarifying that awareness among the villagers is less compared to the urban people.

Despite symptoms they hesitate to go for tests. “Only they are coming to the hospital when they feel worse. Then we have nothing to do for them, they are dying,” he continued.

He said utmost attention should be given to the villages in addition to the urban area as the fatality rate among the villagers is more and the grave situation is aggravating day-by-day there.

Apart from the administration and health workers, public representatives, political activists and volunteers should come forward and work together. Otherwise, the situation may be furthermore alarming, he mentioned.

Meanwhile, demand for oxygen has gradually been rising with surging of patients in the hospital for the last couple of months.

"We’re supplying 8,000 liters of oxygen to the Covid-19 patients every day on an average in the hospital at present but the daily oxygen demand was only 2,500 liters in around two months back," Yazdani said, adding that the oxygen demand has gone up to around 3,000 liters, particularly in last one month.