Containing Covid spread not health ministry’s job: Minister

Preventing the spread of Covid-19 is not the job of the health ministry, minister Zahid Maleque said on Monday.

“The health ministry’s responsibility is to ensure proper treatment. There are other ministries working to fend off the virus”, he added.

The health minister said this while attending a virtual meeting with the government officers, public representatives, political persons of Manikganj and media on the ongoing Covid-19 situation.

He said, "For a year and half the country has been fighting this invisible entity and now we have to be more careful than ever before.”

“Earlier rural people thought they wouldn't get infected by the virus but now the infection rate is highest in the rural areas”, said the minister.

He urged the union and ward monitoring committees to be more concerned to tackle the virus surge. “We are contracting the virus due to our carelessness,” he said.

Zahid said 50,000 health workers, including physicians, nurses and technicians, have been appointed across the country as worsening Covid-19 situation has made it impossible to treat the general patients at the hospitals.

“Preparation to appoint more health workers have been completed too”, he added.

He said, "Already 90 per cent of the hospital beds have been occupied, if we don’t become concerned now increasing hospital beds won’t suffice the crisis." Regarding the vaccination, Zahid said, “We will get 10 million vaccine doses this month and another 10 million in the next.”

But maintaining health rules and wearing masks is mandatory as well as vaccination, he added.

The minister announced the 250-bed Manikganj General Hospital as a Covid-19 dedicated hospital during the meeting.