‘Imperial Hospital’s contribution in Covid-19 times is unique’
Imperial Hospital set up a completely separate Covid-19 unit with 50 beds, 25 critical care beds, and 25 isolation cabins, for better treatment of patients
Imperial Hospital, a 400-bed international standard hospital in Chattogram started up as a specialised medical centre on 15 June 2019, making a unique contribution in the global pandemic times of Covid-19.
Accepting various challenges amid the epidemic, Imperial Hospital set up a completely separate Covid-19 unit with 50 beds, 25 critical care beds, and 25 isolation cabins, for better treatment of patients, said founding chairman of the hospital, Prof Dr Rabiul Hossain, at a press conference in the hospital's auditorium on the 2nd anniversary of the hospital, on Sunday.
"At present, there is a team of 70 people consisting of doctors and nurses engaged full-time in providing medical services. The hospital has set a remarkable example by collecting Covid-19 samples and treating patients from remote areas such as Maheshkhali, Kutubdia, Sandwip, Ukhia, and Bhasan Char, with a mobile team," he added.
Noting there is a huge shortage of quality treatment relative to the needs of children in Bangladesh, Dr Rabiul said, "Keeping this in mind, we have set up a complete paediatric department with state of the art equipment where a 40-member team comprised of doctors, nurses, and technicians, is providing medical services. The unit has 12 separate beds for premature (800-1,000 gram) newborns.
He added that the Department of Lab Medicine, especially the Department of Biopsy and Histopathology in diagnosing cancer, has become unique in Chattogram with great success. There is even a frozen section for immediate cancer diagnosis during surgery. In the Department of Radiology and Imaging, state of the art, dual source CT scan machines are used to diagnose a person's risk of heart disease in the next five years, using CT angiogram and calcium scoring.
Highlighting the hospital's plans, Rabiul Hossain said they are going to launch the Chattogram Imperial College of Nursing this year. All arrangements, including various types of permits, arrangements for nurses to stay on-campus, and the appointment of teachers, have already been made.
Among others, MA Malek, chairman, Chattogram Eye Infirmary and Training Complex and a senior member of the Imperial Hospital's Board of Directors, and Amjadul Ferdous, managing director of Imperial Hospital, were present at the press conference.
Dr Arif Uddin Ahmed, the academic coordinator of the hospital, conducted the programme.