Patients with Covid-19 Symptoms: Investigate denial of treatment at hospitals

Amnesty International has expressed concerns about media reports that say hospitals in Bangladesh are not admitting people exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms.

The organisation's own investigations also found hospitals refusing to admit people with the symptoms, despite having the capacity to diagnose and treat them, it claimed in a statement issued on Thursday.

For the investigation, medical staff at 12 hospitals were interviewed and it was learned that "persons were turned away because hospital staff feared being exposed to potential Covid-19 cases," Amnesty said, calling upon authorities to investigate the allegations of people being denied treatment.

"The shortage of necessary medical equipment has not only made the frontline health workers' job difficult, it in fact puts them at the greatest risk of being exposed to Covid-19," said the Amnesty statement.

It also decried the government's "repression of freedom of expression" and criticised the recent arrests made under the Digital Security Act

The organisation alleged that it is still not clear how cash transfers to the poor, economic and agricultural stimulus packages, cash incentives for informal workers and health insurance and bonus payments for medical professionals are going to be implemented.