RAJSHAHI, June 23, 2021 (BSS) - Sixteen more people died at Covid unit of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) during the last 24 hours till 6 am today (Wednesday), triggering the death toll to 245 in the current month.

RMCH Director Brig Gen Shamim Yazdani told the local journalists that eight of those are the residents of Rajshahi, three from Chapainawabganj, two from Natore and Naogaon each and one from Jhenaidah districts.

"We’ve admitted 60 more patients in the designated ward till 6 am today, totaling its number to 410,"he said, adding that the previous day's figure was 393. There are 357 beds in the corona dedicated wards of the hospital, he further said.

Brig Shamim Yazdani continued that more than 60 percent of the new Covid-19 patients admitted in the Covid unit of RMCH are from villages.

He said 56 patients were admitted in the designated ward on Tuesday and 34 of those are from villages showing 60.72 percent.

On Monday, among 61 admitted patients, 36 were counted from villages showing 59.02 percent, while on Sunday, the tally percentage was 50.

“Currently we should be given more attention on villages side by side with the urban as the fatality rate among the villagers is more and the grave situation is aggravating day-by-day there,” Brig Yazdani said.

In addition to the administration and health workers, public representatives, political activists and volunteers should come forward and work together. Otherwise, the situation may be furthermore alarming, he opined.

Brig Yazdani clarified that awareness among the villagers is less compared to the urban people. Despite symptoms they hesitate to go for tests. "Only they are coming to the hospital when they feel worse. Then we have nothing to do for them, they are dying," he added.