The COVID-19 isolation center in Pabna General Hospital is struggling to serve the patients due to lack of ICU beds and central oxygen supply system, which was supposed to be in place by June.
Work on the oxygen plant to supply central oxygen began in February this year but could not be completed due to slow pace of work.
Ordinary oxygen cylinders are also scarce due to rising number of patients in the district. A total of 5,202 corona patients were identified and 24 of them died as of July 4.
According to sources at the Pabna General Hospital, the tender for the central oxygen supply system was issued in February this year and the work was supposed to be completed by this June. However, only 40 percent of the work has been completed so far.
The contractor company Spectra Oxygen Limited has been slow in implementing the work despite repeated insistence by the hospital authorities. Intervention by local MP Gulam Faruk Prince didn’t make a difference.
“I asked the contractor to finish the work within the stipulated time at least 5 times since the beginning of the 2nd wave of corona infection. But they failed to complete the work in time,” Gulam Faruk Prince told The News Times.
He said the contractor of oxygen plant have to take responsibility for every death caused by lack of oxygen. If necessary, legal action will be taken by the people of Pabna against the contractor, he added.
Hospital authorities said at present the hospital has 210 oxygen cylinders which are enough for use in different wards but it’s insufficient for treating patients in Covid-19 unit.
There is shortage of manpower as well. Nurses from various hospitals were instructed to perform their duties at the Pabna General Hospital for corona treatment, but they are not coming, the authorities said, adding health workers of the hospital are struggling to cope with the pressure of increased number of patients in recent weeks.
As the situation deteriorated rapidly, Sadar MP Gulam Faruk Prince held an emergency meeting with the hospital’s doctors and staff on July 1 to decide steps to ensure proper treatment of the patients.
The MP expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of work of the Central Oxygen Supply System and the non-cooperation of the contractor in arranging supply of oxygen in large cylinders as an alternative way.
Dr. Saleh Mohammad Ali, acting Assistant Director of Pabna General Hospital, said the MP for the Pabna Sadar constituency paid an emergency visit to the hospital on July 1 to see the status of treatment at the hospital. He was informed of the overall situation and he was not happy with the progress made by the contractor in setting up the oxygen plant.
Dr Aksad Al Masur Anon, Dr Zahid Hasan Rumi, Head Assistant Ruhul Amin, Finance Secretary of Upazila Awami League Hirok Hossain, Municipal Awami League leader Kamruzzaman Rocky were also present at the emergency meeting.
