Health Minister Zahid Maleque has inaugurated DNCC (Dhaka North City Corporation) Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital, the largest hospital in the country, in the capital's Mohakhali for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, having 212 full ICU beds.

About 500 beds of the 1,000 beds have ICU equivalent services in the hospital, said the minister after inaugurating the hospital on Sunday.

There are 212 full ICU beds, 250 HDU beds, 438 covid-19 isolated rooms. There are 50 emergency beds for 30 male and 20 female patients. In addition, there are RT PCR lab, pathology lab, radiotherapy centers, X-ray facilities and many more, said the minister.

Inaugurating the hospital, the Health Minister said, "Today is a very happy day. Like the rest of the world, the second wave of Covid-19 has hit our country. The number of Covid infections and deaths is increasing in an alarming rate day by day. The ICU beds of all the hospitals in Dhaka are full with Covid-19 patients. The demand for ICU is increasing day by day."

At such a difficult time, under the direction of the Prime Minister, this market of DNCC has been inaugurated as a full-fledged Covid-19 Dedicated Hospital. The total number of beds for Covid patients in this hospital is 1000, he said.

In just 20 days, this hospital has been prepared very fast through tireless work. During the inauguration, 260 beds of the hospital are being made operational, the minister said adding that there are 60 ICU beds, 50 emergency wards, 150 general wards and another 250 beds in the next seven days.

The health minister also said that the hospital will be fully operational by the 29 April.

Highlighting the need to increase the number of Covid-19 dedicated beds and central oxygen facilities in every hospital in the country, the health minister said, "At present, central oxygen system has been introduced in about 100 hospitals in the country. Work is underway to introduce central oxygen system in 34 more hospitals."

"As a result, it is now possible to set up a central oxygen system in about 12,000 beds in the country. These facilities will play major role in saving the lives of Covid-19 patients in the country, " the minister added.

DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam was present as the special guest in the programme.

Some 150 doctors, 200 nurses, and 300 health workers have joined the hospital.

Also, about 150 doctors from the Army, Air Force and Navy, and skilled personnel from various fields are supporting the hospital.

The hospital will be run by the Armed Forces Division and overall support will be provided by the Ministry of Health.

The hospital has been set up in a vacant 1,80,560 sq ft six story building of Mohakhali Raw Market in Dhaka North, which has so far been used as a Covid-19 isolation centre and a Covid-19 testing lab for outbound passengers.

The patients, hospitalised with Covid-19, are dying faster than ever before, the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research (IEDCR) said a situation report Saturday.

The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh continued its upward trend as fatalities mounted to 10,283 till Saturday. The total number of infections now stands at 715,252 in the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.