Health minister warns pvt hospitals against turning away patients; 5 more test positive for Covid-19

Staff Correspondent

Five more people tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the country’s total to 61, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said yesterday.

He also said private hospitals and clinics that have been refusing to treat patients would face action.

“We’re noticing some private hospitals not giving adequate services while some clinics and chambers, to some extent, are kept shut. At this moment, your withdrawal is not logical. Stand by the people and serve them,” he told a press briefing via video conference.

“We are watching. We will not hesitate to take necessary measures.”

The warning comes after medical personnel in the capital and elsewhere reportedly refused to treat people due to fears that they were Covid-19 patients. In some cases, the patients died without treatment while going from one hospital to the next.