DNCC corona facility to be turned into regular hospital

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is planning to convert its COVID-19 dedicated hospital at Mohakhali into a regular hospital with financial support from a foreign company.

DNCC has a plan to develop the hospital with 90 per cent foreign loan and 10 per cent budget from the government, sources said.

“A Singaporean company has already agreed to provide more than TK 10 billion as soft loan to develop the hospital. If we get the clearance from the government, we can start the work as soon as possible,” said Md Selim Reza, the chief executive officer of DNCC.

“We have submitted a Development Project Proposal to the planning ministry in this regard. We want to convert the hospital into a regular hospital to provide modern healthcare services,” he said.

Sources said DNCC turned a six stored commercial building at Mohakhali in the capital into a 1,054 bed COVID-19 dedicated hospital in April, 2020. It has 212 ICU bed, 288 HDU beds and 554 general beds. It has 30 doctors, 40 nurses and 350 suppor staff including ward boys and cleaners.

But the hospitals have remained vacant for the last few months as the COVID-19 are withering away from the country.

Only six patients now admitted in the hospital.

During a visit to the hospital on Sunday, it was seen that there was only one patient admitted in ICU while 211 beds are remained vacant.

Hospital sources said they have kept the rest admitted patients in HDU unit.

Wishing anonymity, a DNCC officer said, “The government have to spend a huge money keep the 212 ICU and 288 HDU facilities operational. Besides, the manpower in the hospital are passing idle time as there is no patient there.

Talking to the Daily Sun, DNCC chief health officer Md Zobaidur Rahman said, “We are aware about the present condition of the COVID-19 dedicated hospital. We have taken the move the turn it into a modern hospital. We have already send letters to health ministry in this regard.”

“Before starting the process, we want to use it for dengue patients. We want to utilize the present facilities to tackle dengue disease,” he also said.

He added that the Director General of Health Services, DNCC and Armed Forces Division will jointly operate the hospital.

Earlier, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam on numerous occasions expressed his desire to turn the building as a general hospital for residents of the city corporation as there is no general hospital under DNCC.