Five security personnel, including two Ansar members, at the Rampal Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant sustained injuries following a “robbery attempt” by a group of assailants on Wednesday night. The injured are Akram, Saidul Islam, Mintu Bouragi, Brazen Mandal and Habi Kamal Pasha. The power plant’s Deputy General Manager Anwarul Azim said approximately 50-60 armed individuals attempted to infiltrate residential areas of the power plant around 11:30 pm. When the security personnel tried to thwart their entry, the armed men attacked them, resulting in injuries. Of the injured, two were urgently transported to Khulna Medical College and Hospital for medical attention, while the remaining three received treatment at the Rampal Upazila Health Complex, said the DGM. Somen Das, the officer-in-charge of Rampal Police Station, confirmed that law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the culprits. As a precautionary measure, additional police forces have been deployed to secure the power plant and its surrounding areas, aiming to prevent further incidents and ensure the safety of the plant's personnel and infrastructure. Bagerhat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abul Hasnat Khan said the Ansar members of the power plant opened 30 rounds of bullets to deter the robbers. In the firing one of the robbers sustained injuries, he said, adding that they have already arrested 11suspects. The arrestees are being interrogated at Rampal police station and drives are on to arrest others, the SP said.

Patients at Khulna Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) have been struggling to receive proper treatment due to overcrowding and manpower shortage. The authorities of KMCH have been scrambling to provide treatment due to bed shortage as the number of patients is three times higher than the capacity of the 500-bed hospital. Besides, physicians at the outdoor department of the hospital are also having a difficult time with 1500 patients on average every day seeking medical treatment. 3 KMCH doctors missing since Friday Deputy director of KMCH, Dr Niaz Mustafi Chwodhury, said a record number of patients are thronging at the hospital as the authorities have expanded healthcare services after opening new departments. “Though we are struggling a lot to provide medical services to the record number of patients, we are trying our best,” he said. Clash with medicine traders: KMCH students boycott classes During a recent visit to the hospital, this UNB correspondent found that the floors, veranda, and staircases near the entrance of the hospital building are overcrowded with patients. Many were receiving treatment, resting on mats on the floor, close to the bathroom and staircases due to shortage of beds. Jahangir Alam, who came to the hospital with his father from Rupsha upazila, said, “I brought my father with respiratory problems. He has been receiving treatment on the floor of the veranda for the past seven days. My father is suffering a lot due to the heat as there is no fan in the veranda.” The staff of the hospital are also responding slowly as they are unable to cope with the overwhelming number of patients. According to hospital sources, 81 posts under 31 wards of 16 departments at KMCH have remained vacant for a long period — forcing staff to deal with patients with inadequate manpower. KMCH intern doctors call for work abstention over clash between students and medicine traders

Adding to the miseries of its residents, Bangladesh’s Covid hotspot Khulna saw three new dengue hospitalisation cases in the past 24 hours. A dengue outbreak might totally cause the fragile healthcare system of the district to collapse, which is already battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read:Khulna div registers another 40 Covid deaths, 880 cases The patients have been identified as Sajib, 32, Atish, 4, and Lincon Ghosh, 10. All of them were admitted to Khulna Medical College and Hospital on Monday. Director Md Rabiul Islam, however, told UNB that the dengue situation is well under control in the district. "We cannot say there is a dengue outbreak in Khulna. However, we are prepared for any situation," he said. “We have decided to designate two wards in the hospital for dengue patients,” he added. Read: Covid claims 41 more lives in Khulna division Meanwhile, Dr Mehedi Newaz of Khulna Medical College and Hospital said that the hospital needs self-separator machines to ensure platelet distribution in the treatment of dengue patients. “Platelets can be separated from the blood of healthy people and given to dengue-infected people if necessary,” he added.

Eleven more people have died of Covid-19 at Khulna Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) in the past 24 hours, officials said Saturday. Among them, eight were confirmed Covid cases, while the remaining three showed symptoms of the virus, KMCH nodal officer and resident medical officer Dr Suhas Ranjan Haldar said. Moreover, 19 patients were admitted to the hospital ICU during the period, he added.   READ: A battle for breath in Khulna as Covid cases surge As of Saturday morning, as many as 155 patients with Covid-19 complications have been admitted to the hospital and 54 patients discharged post-recovery. On Friday, 171 samples tested positive for Covid at KMCH laboratory. READ: Covid-19 claims 18 more lives in Khulna division in 24 hrs

As many as seven Covid patients have died in the past 24 hours at Khulna Corona Dedicated Hospital, health officials said on Wednesday. Besides, authorities have recorded 81 new cases on Tuesday, after testing as many as 279 samples, less than Monday's single-day record tally of 131. Read:In Khulna, a scramble for Covid hospital beds Those who died were identified as Darbesh Ali, 72, of Jhenaidah, Selim Jamadar (65) of Morelganj, A Malek, 75, Trishar Kanti (58) of Phultala upazila in Khulna, Ayzan Begum (75) of Koyra upazila, Kazi Saidur Rahman, 74, of Jashore district, and A Hye Shikdar, 80, of Bagerhat district. So far, 295 people have died of Covid-related complications at Khulna Corona Dedicated Hospital, officials said. Read: Weeklong strict restrictions imposed in Khulna Of the new cases, 39 people are from Khulna, 26 from Bagerhat, two each from Jashore and Pirojpur, and one each from Gopalganj and Jhenidah districts, officials said. Resident Medical Officer of Khulna Medical College and Hospital and the nodal person for its corona unit, Dr Suhash Ranjan Haldar, said 129 people are currently undergoing treatment at the dedicated Covid facility. Read: Covid-19: Strict restrictions imposed in Rajshahi, parts of Khulna, Naogaon Of them, 63 have kept in the red zone, 28 in the yellow zone, 20 in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 19 in the high dependency unit (HDU). Meanwhile, authorities have imposed lockdown restrictions in Sadar, Khalishpur, Shonadanga areas of Khulna city, Paikgachcha municipality and Rupsha upazila to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.

At least four persons have been killed in two separate road accidents in Khulna and Satkhira in the past 24 hours, police said Saturday.

A total of 965 health workers, including doctors and nurses, have been tested positive for coronavirus in ten districts under Khulna division.

A coronavirus patient, who had been undergoing treatment at Khulna Diabetic Hospital dedicated for treating COVID-19 patients, died on Sunday morning.

A sexagenarian woman who had been suffering with fever and cold died at Khulna Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) early Sunday.   The deceased was identified as Khadiza, 65, a resident of Tutpara in the city.   Dr Shoilendra Biswas, a spokesperson of KMCH, said the woman got admitted to the hospital around 9 pm on Saturday and later she was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital following deterioration of her condition where she breathed her last around 4 am.   However, samples were collected from the woman for corona test on Sunday.   A total of 22 people died so far from the virus infection in the district.