Staff Correspondent, Ctg

The government has to take control of private hospitals with adequate ICU, ventilator, and centralised oxygen facilities in Chattogram, to deal with the increasing number of coronavirus patients, demanded a civil platform yesterday.

Participants of a human chain by “Action against Corona” in front of Chattogram Press Club also called on the government to bear patients’ treatment costs.

Talking to The Daily Star, the platform’s chief coordinator Dr Susanto Barua alleged that hospitals leave patients untreated, and helpless people are struggling to get seats at healthcare institutions. Under the circumstances, the government should come forward to take over the hospitals, he said.

Apart from this, testing capacity has to be increased at all levels -- including upazila and union -- to reduce people’s suffering, demanded the participants.

Tavir Hossen, Advocate Amir Abbas and Bisumoy Dev, associate coordinators of the platform, were present at the human chain, among others.