Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday inaugurated treatment facilities at the Covid-19 dedicated hospital of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) in the capital's Mohakhali.
The hospital for the treatment of coronavirus patients initially started the journey with 260 beds.
Of the 260 beds, 60 are intensive care units (ICUs), and 50 emergency and 150 general beds.
Another 250 beds will be operable within the next one week, said the minister.
The minister expected that the rest of the total 1,000 beds would be prepared by the end of this month.
Zahid Maleque said 500 beds of this biggest Covid-19 dedicated hospital of the country would have ICU-like facilities.
However, the total number of actual ICU beds will be 212, high-dependency units (HDU) 250, Covid-19 isolation beds 438 and emergency beds 50, the minister mentioned.
There will also be RT PCR lab, radiotherapy centre, pathology lab, x- ray lab and other facilities.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islamwas also present at the programme.
During a visit to the temporary Covid-19 isolation centre installed at Mohakhali's DNCC market on09 August last year,the mayorthen announced conversion of the centre into a Covid-dedicated hospital.
In his speech, Zahid Maleque said the Covid-19 death and infection rates had increased during the second wave and reached an alarming stage - allhospital beds and ICU beds across the country are full.
This DNCC hospital has been prepared within 20 days, said the minister, adding that the 1,000-bed hospital could be fully operationalby 29 this month.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister claimed to have increased Covid-dedicated beds in every hospital of the country.
As many as 100 hospitals have central oxygen facilities, making it possible to provide oxygen facilities to 12,000 beds now, claimed the minister, adding that another 34 hospitals would come under this facility soon.
Speaking on the occasion, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islamsaid the work of this biggest Covid-19 dedicated hospital had been completed within eight months into making commitment.
The mayor said he himself was infected with Covid-19 and received treatment at a government hospital, where the treatment quality was very good.
He called upon all the public representatives to take treatment at government hospitals.
The surge in the death toll from Covid-19 continued in Bangladesh over the recent days as the daily virus fatalities hit a new high of 102 on Sunday.
With the latest tally, the total fatalities from coronavirus reached 10,385 since the deadly virus was detected first in the country in March last year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
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