‘Scale up oxygen supply, beds at hospitals’

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Thursday instructed authorities concerned to ramp up medical oxygen supply and increase hospital capacity as record Covid-19 surge crashes into the country.

It also directed the officials to strictly follow the health safety protocols and keep those who have tested Covid positive in isolation, if required.

The PMO also called upon the countrymen to abide by the health rules and lockdown guidelines properly to curb further spread of the deadly virus.

The directives came from following an urgent meeting held virtually with the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to find out the way out to ensure health protection for the people and coordinate the ongoing government activities to offset the Covid onslaught.

Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus presided over the meeting from the PMO end.

Among others, PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Secretary of Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Lokman Hossain Miah also joined the meeting.

Bangladesh reported 201 new deaths on Wednesday, the biggest daily rise in fatalities since the pandemic began, taking the toll to 15,593.

As many as 11,162 new infections were reported, with the total standing at 977,568.

Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, particularly in districts bordering India where the Delta variant was first identified.

Since the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in Bangladesh last year, the first week of July was the deadliest, with 1,090 fatalities.

However, public health experts said they hope infection and deaths will decline after two more weeks.