More than 1,500 cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Cox’s Bazar region, including 37 confirmed cases and three deaths in the crowded refugee camps. The situation is putting immense pressure on existing government hospitals and health facilities established by international relief agencies, the IFRC noted. The true extent of the outbreak may not be fully apparent yet due to limited testing and health facilities available in the camps, said Syed Ali Nasim Khaliluzzaman, head of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's population movement operation in Cox’s Bazar. There are an estimated 1.24 million people in the Cox’s Bazar area, including more than 900,000 people living in the camps, stretching the existing healthcare system to the limit even before the COVID-19 outbreak. As part of a coordinated humanitarian effort, Red Cross Red Crescent has already established 12 healthcare facilities in the camp and meeting the health needs remains a huge challenge for all aid organisations in Cox’s Bazar.

Source: bd News24 June 22, 2020 12:11 UTC