Shortage in supply of detection kits hampering COVID-19 test outside the capital of Dhaka with number of new cases on the rise again.
Efforts are underway to source kits from international organisations and domestic suppliers. In this regard, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has prioritised the procurement of the kits. DGHS has already received a limited number of kits, according to official sources.
The International Red Crescent Society has reportedly provided 28,000 rapid detection kits the previous day in response to urgent needs on Tuesday. An additional 10,000 RT-PCR kits were expected to arrive on Wednesday.
Professor Abu Zafar, DGHS director general, has said that the DGHS has requested 100,000 RT-PCR kits and 500,000 rapid detection kits from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. The agency is also engaging with several private companies that previously supplied kits to the government. Discussions have also been held with the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.
The latest DGHS bulletin, released on Tuesday afternoon, reported 13 new cases in the past 24 hours.
According to the icddr,b on Monday, two new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants have recently been detected in Bangladesh, with health authorities noting a gradual rise in COVID-19 positivity in recent months. These subvariants were first identified at Chattogram Medical College Hospital in April 2025.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to issue any special alerts, the rising cases of infections in Bangladesh and neighbouring India has motivated the countries to adopt a cautious stance.
The DGHS has instructed all civil surgeons and government medical college hospitals in each district to prepare accordingly. Authorities are also reviewing hospital oxygen supply systems and planning for possible vaccination if the situation demands it.