Corona hospital at ICCB opens this month

The country’s largest hospital for Covid-19 patients at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital will be inaugurated by this month, Health Secretary M Asadul Islam said.

He came up with the information after visiting the ICCB premises and inquiring about the headway in the construction work of the makeshift hospital on Tuesday.

Officials of the Health Engineering Department of the government and the Bashundhara Group have been working relentlessly to complete the hospital construction work for a couple of weeks.
The ICCB will be used as hospital for the time being and it will return to its previous status housing trade fairs and other events after corona is over.

Talking to the media, Health Secretary M Asadul Islam expressed satisfaction with the progress of the construction work of the hospital at the ICCB.

Among others, Health Engineering Department Chief Engineer Brigadier-General Mohammad Osman Sarwar, Daily Sun Editor Enamul Hoque Chowdhury, HED Additional Chief Engineer Abdul Hamid and Executive Engineer Mashudul Alam were present on the occasion.

The hospital has some uniqueness in facilities, including food catering for patients and medical staff as well the wide parking space which made the hospital special, officials said.

Earlier, Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan sent a written proposal to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to construct a makeshift hospital for coronavirus patients at the ICCB in Kuril Biswa Road area.

Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir formally tendered the proposal to Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmed Kaikaus at the PMO. The premier accepted the proposal instantly. Besides, Sayem Sobhan Anvir also donated Tk 100 milion to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
Expressing gratitude to Bashundhara Group, Health Secretary Asadul Islam said the hospital enables government to provide treatment to many patients in the emergency situation of the country.

“We’re hopeful of opening the hospital by the end of this month. And it would be a great place for isolation and treatment of corona patients,” he said.

Regarding the security of medical staff, the health secretary further said there has taken a plan to ensure safety security of doctors, nurses and other medical staff.

The Health Engineering Department formulates the access protocol to the hospital, guidelines on quarantine of patients as well.

Asadul also said the authorities concerned have taken maximum measures to keep doctors and medical staff safe from the contagion.

“We emphasised on roaster-based duty as well as there is set up first aid facilities and specialised physicians to provide instant treatment to any doctor and nurse,” he said.

The health secretary informed that admission of Covid patients to the hospital depends on trend of corona cases in days and in weeks up next.

Brigadier General Mohammad Osman Sarwar said around 90 percent work on the hospital have been completed and now the finishing tasks are going on.

HED officials supervised the construction work on the Covid-19 hospital — a noble initiative undertaken by Bashundhara Group, a leading industrial conglomerate in the country.

Officials of HED and Bashundhara Group have been working relentlessly for a couple of weeks to expedite the hospital construction work.

ICCB Chief Executive Jasim Uddin informed that there will be set up 2,084 beds, including 71 Intensive Care Units (ICU), and the number will be increased on demand.

Bashundhara Group has designated its trade centre with 150,000 square feet and four convention centres with 90,000 square feet for the noble cause of treating people infected with the deadly virus which has seriously affected Bangladesh like other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, the noble initiative of the Bashundhara Group to convert its trade centre and convention centre into a makeshift hospital has already been acclaimed at home and abroad.

Diplomats of different foreign missions and United Nations (UN) agencies in Dhaka have highly appreciated the Bashundhara Group’s initiative.

They said the country’s largest hospital will contribute greatly to the treatment of coronavirus patients.

Besides, United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based newspaper ‘Khaleej Times’ has lauded the noble initiative of Bashundhara Group.

SOURCE : Daily Sun