Dhaka: Bangladesh appears to be the only country in the world where the COVID-19 death rate is higher than the recovery rate.

Of the total 4,998 people infected with novel coronavirus until 2:30pm yesterday, 140 died and 113 recovered, according to statistics of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Experts blamed mismanagement in the treatment of patients and failure in engaging specialised doctors in the fight against the deadly virus for the poor recovery rate.

The country recorded its first novel coronavirus case on March 8. Within a few weeks, the number has seen a sharp increase.

According to DGHS data, the number of recovered patients was 42 on April 13 and that of death was 39. A total of 722 patients were undergoing treatment on that day.

The following day, the death toll went up to 46, surpassing the number of recovered patients -- 42.

Since then, the number of deaths continues to go up. Yesterday, the death rate was 2.8 percent against the recovery rate of 2.2 percent.

Yesterday, the recovery rate in neighbouring India and Pakistan has been 22.24 percent and 23.1 percent respectively. The recovery rates in the USA, Italy, Spain, Turkey and France have been 11.9 percent, 31.3 percent, 42 percent, 20.7 percent and 27.2 percent respectively so far. These five countries have seen thousands of deaths from the virus, according to data from covid.geobd.com.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh yesterday saw two more districts having COVID-19 patients. Of the country's 64 districts, the virus has now spread to 60.

Speaking at an online briefing, Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general (administration) of the DGHS, said nine more people died of COVID-19 in 24 hours till 2:30pm yesterday.

With the latest deaths, the death toll from the virus stood at 140. A total of 309 patients tested positive for novel coronavirus during the 24 hours, she added.

The total number of infected people in the country was 4,998.

Nasima said 3,337 samples were tested for COVID-19 across the country during this 24-hour.

The DGHS official also said two more laboratories in Savar and Kushtia started testing samples for COVID-19.

Statistics from covid.geobd.com show that 30 people in each 10 lakh have so far been infected with the novel coronavirus in the country.

Contacted, Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (disease control) of the DGHS, said the government did not fight the whole battle against the COVID-19 in an organised way from the very beginning.

"Had it taken measures in an organised way from the very beginning, the recovery rate would have been much higher," he said.

Pointing out that the government was arranging treatment at specialised hospitals with doctors having medium-level experience, Be-Nazir observed that it should involve experts in the process.

"Experienced doctors could have provided critical patients with better suggestions. Thus, the fatality rate would have been reduced."

He said such arrangements could be made through videoconferencing.

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