Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Hospital begins Covid-19 tests

After a long wait, the PCR lab of Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital has started its journey, taking the number of Covid-19 testing facilities available in Bangladesh to 65.

The government on Monday also designated the hospital for priority treatment of doctors and health workers suffering from Covid-19, following an ultimatum from the Bangladesh Medical Association.

Meanwhile, the country on Tuesday reported 3,412 new Covid-19 cases after testing 16,292 samples in 65 labs across the country between Monday 8am and Tuesday 8am.

The country reported another 43 deaths from the deadly virus, which is 11.63 percent higher than that of the previous day. With this, the death toll from the deadly virus rose to 1,545 and the number of total infections stood at 119,198.

Making the disclosure during the daily health bulletin, Professor Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said, "Among the dead, 38 were men and five were women.

"Of them, 16 were from Dhaka, 15 from Chattogram, six from Rajshahi, two each from Khulna and Mymensingh, and one each from Sylhet and Barishal. Thirty patients died at different hospitals, 12 in their respective homes and one was diagnosed with the virus after death."

Besides, 880 patients recovered from the Covid-19 in the 24-hour period.

"Around 39.36 percent of novel coronavirus patients – both symptomatic and asymptomatic – have recovered in Bangladesh so far, while 1.30 percent have died. The infection rate stands at 20.94 percent," Nasima stated.

Unlike the rising number of infections and deaths, however, the number of intensive care units (ICUs) and dialysis beds for treating Covid-19 patients has remained the same for the past few weeks.

The country currently has 399 ICUs and 112 dialysis beds for novel coronavirus patients.

Till date, the deadly virus has killed 474,339 people globally and infected 9,187,861.