Online Desk: Ten Covid-19 patients returning from India have escaped from Jessore General Hospital.

The fled between Saturday morning and Sunday noon, according to media reports.

Allegedly, the patients were able to escape due to the negligence of the nurses and staff of the hospital. Now, there is a risk that they will spread the Indian variant of Covid-19.

However, the hospital caretaker claimed that only two patients escaped. While the civil surgeon said that if the name and address given in the hospital are correct, it is possible to find them.

Tarak Chandra Biswas, a staff of the hospital’s emergency department, said: “Some patients returning from India were admitted to the hospital around 10:57am on Saturday. Few more patients were admitted on Sunday as well. 

“In all, ten Covid-19 patients were admitted to the hospital in the last two days and all of them were sent to the corona ward on the third floor of the hospital.”

According to the hospital admission register, the admitted patients are -- Fatema Begum, 57, wife of Abul Qasim from Biman Office Junction in Jessore; Mala Dutta, 50, wife of Bishwanath from Khaldhar Road; Fatema Begum, 19, wife of Rabiul Islam; and Roma, 30, wife of Ekram from Panchbaria village of Sadar upazila; Momin, son of Jalal Uddin from Pratapkathi village; Nasima Begum, 50, wife of Golam Rabbani from Ramkantpur village; Shahidul Islam, 45, son of Fazr Ali from Raipur village of Bagharpara upazila; Shefali Rani, wife of Manotash from Kaliganj of Jhenaidah district; Amirul Sana, son of Ahmed Sana; and Sohail, 17, son of Sher Ali, from Rupsa area of the same district.

Laboni Biswas, a senior nurse in charge of the corona ward, said: “Ten people from India who had contracted the corona virus were admitted to the ward. But they have not been found since this morning.”

Some doctors at Jessore General Hospital said if the patients are infected with the Indian variant of Covid-19, there is a risk that they will spread it.

The caretaker doctor of the hospital, Dilip Kumar Roy, said: “Police are supposed to escort the Covid-19 patients returning from India to the hospital. They are also supposed to collect the passport of the patients. However, none of that was done.

“I will talk to the superintendent of police about taking the matter seriously so that no patient can escape.”

Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Abu Shahin said: "I went to Jessore General Hospital on Sunday after hearing about that patients have escaped. Talked to the hospital caretaker. If the name and address given in the hospital are correct, it is possible to find them. The matter is being taken seriously.”

Jessore Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Tajul Islam said: "The hospital authorities did not inform us about the escape of the Covid-19 patients.

“If a complaint is filled, we will look into the matter.”

Source : Dhaka Tribune