The international medical organization Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF) is launching COVID-19 isolation and medical center at the Nayapara refugee camp in Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar Sunday (26 July).
The opening of the Severe Acute Respiratory Infection – Isolation and Treatment Centre (SARI-ITC) is part of MSF’s continuing scale-up of activities in response to the spread of COVID-19 across this part of south-east Bangladesh.
Initially, to be launched with 20 beds, Nayapara Row-ITC has a capacity of 100 beds. The center will work closely with the healthcare network of the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family to treat the growing COVID-19 infection in the area.
“We are working to serve the people in these difficult times,” said Muriel Bonshie, MSF’s head of mission. Our goal is to work together to address this disaster by building the confidence of Bangladesh and the Rohingya community.”
The center has emergency medical services and oxygen concentrator facilities, capable of treating patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19. The center has been built following the latest Covid-19 treatment experience and the latest policy of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
“We are offering patients a safe place for isolation and treatment. There is a visitors’ pathway where families and caretakers can see their hospitalized relatives and also observe the treatment procedures directly,” adds Boursier.
The team at the center will work closely with community leaders, communities, and staff at nearby health posts in the refugee camp (Camp 26) to ensure that people showing symptoms of COVID-19 can be properly and safely referred to the Nayapara SARI-ITC.
“MSF would like to thank the Government of Bangladesh for their support and for granting all approvals to make the SARI-ITC a reality,” says Boursier.
To help tackle the pandemic while maintaining our essential health services, MSF continues its strong partnership with national health efforts through our projects in Kamrangrichar, Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, running 11 hospitals and primary health centers.
This covers a range of inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency and intensive care, pediatrics, obstetrics, sexual and reproductive healthcare, treatment for survivors of sexual violence and patients with non-communicable diseases, and occupational health.
In response to COVID-19, MSF teams have begun health promotion activities to raise awareness and educate communities. They are also training frontline workers on IPC and prevention measures and have set up isolation wards in all MSF facilities.
MSF has been committed to supporting Bangladesh with medical humanitarian assistance for almost 50 years, implementing a range of activities across the country in response to evolving needs. MSF first provided medical assistance in Bangladesh in 1972.
