Health Minister: 75% seats vacant in Dhaka hospitals as Covid infections eased

Published at 09:03 am September 6th, 2021

File photo: Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque addresses the press at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday, January 31, 2020 <strong>Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune</strong>

File photo shows Health Minister Zahid Maleque addressing the media Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

Inoculation campaign to get a boost as consignments of 25m doses of Sinopharma and Pfizer vaccines expected this month

Most of the beds in the Covid-19 dedicated hospitals are now vacant as infections eased across the country, says Health Minister Zahid Maleque.

At least 12,000 seats among the 17,000 are vacant now, of which 75% are in Dhaka, he told the media after the cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Monday.

The vacated seats will be used for cancer and other patients, added Maleque.

The minister also said the Covid-19 vaccination campaign will be expedited from this month as consignments of 20 million Sinopharm doses and 5 million Pfizer doses will arrive soon.

Regarding vaccination of children, the health minister said that they are waiting for WHO’s approval for vaccinating children above 12 years of age.

“No country has got the approval yet,” he said before adding that an approval of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 is also required.