The fear of getting infected by the highly contagious COVID-19 dealt a serious blow to the city's healthcare centres, which witnessed a massive fall in the number of admitted patients over the last few days, sector insiders said.
As a result, most of the beds of these medicare centres have been remaining vacant since Bangladesh started counting the coronavirus infection cases, according to them.
The sources said the highly communicable virus has sent a wave of panic among people, suffering from various complications, and even to the hospitalised patients, who have started leaving hospitals.
During visits to many hospitals, the FE correspondent found that some patients were hurriedly leaving those facilities although they were yet to recover fully.
Among others, Rezia Begum, a 60-year-old woman, was seen hurriedly leaving Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital along with her family members even without removing cannula that supplies fluids to the body.
"I've heard that infected people with symptoms like fever and cough have started arriving at the hospital. So, we don't want to put our life at risk here. We can continue treatment from home now," said Mohammad Hossain, son of the women, before leaving the place quickly.
On the other hand, hospital managements in some cases are discouraging people from coming to hospitals for treatment in this critical time, as many physicians are preferring to stay at home in absence of proper protective gear, the sources also said.
Few hospitals are in a move to set up hotlines, that will make medicare suggestions to patients staying at home, while a good number of specialised doctors are treating their patients through social media and cell-phone.
During a visit to Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorder (BIRDEM) hospital on Tuesday, the FE correspondent found most of its beds vacant.
Talking to the FE, joint director of BIRDEM's hospital services division Dr Nazimul Islam said there are 715 beds in the specialised hospital. In most of the time of the year, around 90 per cent of the beds remain occupied by the patients.
"Now, we have only 100 patients, and the number is gradually declining. We're keeping our services open, but people are afraid of coming to the hospital to receive the services at this moment," he added.
Another BIRDEM staffer said seventy per cent doctors of the hospital have shut their chambers here. Some of them are providing services through social media to a group of people.
The situation is almost similar in other healthcare facilities like Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College and Hospital, Care Hospital, Better Life Hospital, etc.
A staffer working at the administration section of Holy Family Hospital said the 500-bed hospital now has only 93 admitted patients.
"I've never seen such a low presence of admitted patients over the last several years. The number was more than triple even a week ago," he noted.
When contacted, Associate Professor (respiratory medicine) of BSMMU Dr. Shamim Ahmed said discouraging patients, whose conditions are not that severe, from visiting physicians is a global healthcare practice when any pandemic arises.
"In such a situation, only emergency services or priority issues are being taken care of."
Allowing a large number of patients in chambers could enhance the risk of more infections as well as put severe pressure on the country's limited healthcare centres.
As part of avoiding other patients, the BSMMU plans to set up 10 hotlines for making necessary health advices to the patients regarding their complications, Mr Ahmed mentioned.
"People do not need to come to hospital. Considering nature of patients' illness the hospital authority will advise them to get admitted, if necessary," he added.
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