Covid-19 testing booths at airport facing fund crisis

Twenty Covid-19 testing booths installed at the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka have been facing acute fund crisis, officials said.

Under the circumstances, the Health Services Division wrote to the Finance Ministry to disburse funds immediately from Tk 140 crore earlier set aside for the quarantine expenses.

Earlier, the government allocated only Tk 4.10 lakh for two months up to October last year for testing inbound passengers at the airport.

Though all international flights have been cancelled due to the complete lockdown starting from April 14, air passengers might be increased because of the movement of chartered, cargo, and special flights carrying diplomats of different countries and foreign nationals, said an official at the Health Ministry.

So, the coronavirus testing booths need to keep operational right at this moment, he said.

However, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Chairman Air Vice Marshall Mohammed Mofidur Rahman told the Business Insider Bangladesh, “It is not true that the number of passengers will increase during the lockdown as many countries in the world have imposed lockdown. A few numbers of chartered flights may leave the country. “

According to the Health Services Division, local and foreign outbound passengers ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 were so far tested in those booths.