No place to be available in hospital after a month

We’re worried and panicked: Minister

Special Correspondent: The health minister Zahid Malek has warned in advance that there will be no place for admission of patients in the country’s hospitals in the next one-and-a-half months due to the increasing rate of coronavirus infection including omicron.
“We’re getting vaccinated, and the number of people infected with our Omicron and Delta variants is growing by leaps and bounds,” he said. We are a little worried and panicked. We don’t want the infection to increase that way. Last year, the Delta variant infection rate rose to 29-30 percent. Now it is increasing step by step, if it increases like this, it will not take long to reach 30 percent. The number of hospital admissions is also increasing. If this continues, there will be no place for hospitalization in the next one-and-a-half months. Then it will be difficult to give treatment.
He told reporters yesterday in the meeting room of the Health Ministry at the Secretariat. The Russian Ambassador to Dhaka Alexander V. Mantitsky paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Health at the Secretariat with an offer for jabs, the minister added.
The health minister said the Russian ambassador had come to talk about the vaccine. Ticker (vaccine) agreement with Russia, it is still there. However, we have not yet received the contract vaccine from them. We have asked the Russian ambassador to make arrangements for vaccination as per the agreement. Ticker takes two doses, we said two doses should be given together. They say they have another new vaccine, Sputnik Light. We have asked for the documents; the DG of Drug Administration will see the necessary documents.
Regarding ticker booster dose, he said, we are going with ticker booster dose. There has not been much progress in the booster dose. Because not everyone has met six months. So far, I have been able to give about 7 lakh booster doses. First of all, the booster dose was 60 years old. From now on, 50-yearold will be given booster dose. The Prime Minister has given his approval in this regard.
“We have not yet decided to vaccinate children under the age of 12,” he said, referring to the lack of specific guidelines for schooling of children under the age of 12 in the face of rising uptake of the new variant Omicron in the country.
Because, WHO has not given us that decision yet. If I get a decision, I will be able to act accordingly. Children can come to school physically and take virtual classes, there are two options.
But it depends on the parents and the school authorities. We can’t make this decision. The Ministry of Education will be able to say this. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact us. I can give advice based on how it is being seen in the outside world, how it is being worked on.
Zahid Malek further said that 1 crore 8 lakh vaccines have been given, it is a huge figure. The population of many countries is not so much. If there is any problem, the decision can be taken after discussion. We want the children to be vaccinated, everyone to be vaccinated. We don’t just rely on security apps. We said, bring the birth certificate, I will vaccinate even if you do not bring any letter. If necessary, we will fill out a card. School authorities have been told that we are vaccinating according to their list.