Coronavirus panic hospital empty in Jhalakhati

The 100-bed Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital became almost empty as outdoor patients refrained from receiving services, while indoor patients also left the hospital due to panic over the novel coronavirus.

Most of physicians are also not attending duties amid insecurity as there is no patient in the outdoor department and wards other than emergency department.

The hospital authorities say they think patients are not coming to the hospital as the common people have become more conscious about coronavirus infection, reports UNB.

Visiting the hospital at 10:00am on Wednesday, this correspondent found no patient and physician at the outdoor department, operation theatre and reception centre of the government hospital. 

The ticket counter and rooms of physicians were found under lock and key.

A crowd of 300-400 patients is normally seen at the outdoor, but there was none in the morning.   

The emergency department had only a few patients who were also seen leaving the hospital after receiving treatment.

The patient wards remained empty and two-three nurses were seen passing idle times there.

“There is no patient here. We’re passing idle time,” said an on-duty nurse.

Jhalakathi Civil Surgeon Shyamal Krishna Hawlader said the outdoor of the hospital is kept open from 8:30am to 12:00pm. But the emergency department is always open and the physicians are also rendering services there.

There were some indoor patients. Many of them left the hospital, he added.