By Wednesday, only 48 intensive care unit beds were vacant in hospitals in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh,  as the rising cases of the COVID-19 infections overwhelmed the health infrastructure in Bangladesh’s capital, reported Daily Star.

As panic gripped the city, Bangladesh’s Health Minister Zahid Maleque urged people to consider hospitals adjacent to Dhaka city to reduce some pressure from the city’s hospitals. He also announced that the government would add more beds in a short span of time.

Three specialized hospitals in the capital will also open their dedicated wards, each with the capacity of 100 beds, for COVID-19 patients, he said.

“An additional 2,500 beds will be increased in the hospitals of the capital to treat COVID-19 patients within a very short time. Moreover, a central oxygen line has been provided to 90 hospitals,” Maleque was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

A decision was also taken to turn the city’s Kitchen market into a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients. The makeshift hospital will have 50 ICU beds and more than 1000 patients can be treated there, according to a report in The Daily Star.

As the cases continue to rise, the minister also blamed the lethargic and careless attitude of people.

“People are visiting tourist destinations, attending weddings and social events without maintaining any health guidelines. If this continues, then it will not be possible to curb the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

He also warned people that if the situation goes beyond the control of authorities, it would very difficult to bring life back to normal.