Chinese medical team with leading Covid-19 fighters due Monday

A team of Chinese medical experts with first-hand experience in containing the coronavirus and treating Covid-19 patients with remarkable success is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Monday.

The team has been organised by the National Health Commission and consists of 10 respiratory physicians selected by the Hainan Provincial Health Commission, according to officials at the Chinese embassy in Dhaka.

The Chinese embassy said in a press release on Sunday that the team has made full preparations and has kept their eyes on the unfolding Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh. 

The team members have discussed and studied appropriate measures, and have prepared advice for Bangladeshi people, said the embassy.

These medical experts will also arrive with a bunch of medical equipment. Members of the team said they are well-prepared and expect to have efficient communication and cooperation with their Bangladeshi medical peers in the battle against Covid-19.

During their two-week stay in Bangladesh, the experts will visit hospitals, quarantine centers, and testing centres, hold discussions on the epidemic with their Bangladeshi counterparts, and make calibrated propositions for containment and treatment.

Earlier on May 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

During their talk, President Xi reassured Prime Minister Hasina of standing beside Bangladesh as a true friend in this all-out war against the coronavirus. 

Many cooperative measures have been taken by the Chinese side, most of which have already been implemented in Bangladesh since the outbreak here, according to the Chinese embassy in Dhaka. 

The death toll stood at 888 in Bangladesh as of Sunday morning, with 42 deaths being recorded in the last 24 hours. During that period, 2,743 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the country.