Bangladesh’s frontier districts brace for Covid catastrophe: Experts

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Amid the growing Covid-19 cases, health experts fear that Bangladesh’s frontier districts await a serious healthcare crisis as most hospitals and health complexes there are ill-equipped to cope with any worsening situation.

They also voiced frustration as local administrations in different frontier districts are “buying time” in enforcing strict lockdowns and halting the inter-district transport services to control the virus locally, reports UNB.

They said the government should focus on preventing the spread of the virus transmission to other areas from the frontier ones and enhancing the number of hospital beds, treatment facilities, equipment, and ensuring an adequate supply of oxygen, high-flow nasal cannula and necessary medicines at hospitals and upazila health complexes in the bordering areas witnessing a surge in the virus infection rate.

Covid cases are growing alarmingly in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Satkhira, Khulna, Kushtia, Jashore, Naogaon and Natore since the last week of May apparently for the prevalence of the highly transmissible Indian variant.

According to a research conducted in India, one person carrying 1.617 known as the Indian variant, can infect about 406 people in just one month.

Though the government has already empowered local administrations to enforce lockdowns in the virus-affected districts, only Chapainawabganj has been put under lockdown so far.