Cumilla hospital's filthy toilets draw minister's anger, promise of reform

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid has expressed his dissatisfaction after finding 40 to 60 percent of the toilets at Cumilla Medical College Hospital unusable. During a visit to the hospital, the minister, visibly upset by the unhygienic conditions, turned to the hospital's acting director and said, "Bring the sweeper and Harpic, I will clean them right now."

A video of the minister's remarks on Thursday went viral on social media. According to reports, the minister made the comments on Tuesday during an inspection of various wards before attending a meeting of the hospital's management committee.

The minister, who is also the president of the hospital management committee, toured several wards that day, including the surgery ward, to observe patient care, ward environments, cleanliness, and the condition of the toilets. At one point, he called the hospital's acting director, Md Shahjahan, to ask about the state of the toilets. The director replied that the toilets were cleaned regularly, but old stains could not be completely removed.

Expressing his discontent, the minister said, "You have joined as director. You have been serving as acting director for four months. You should have paid attention to these issues. But as per my report, 40 to 60 percent of the bathrooms, which I have shown you myself, are unfit for use. Nothing is needed for this except cleaning, so patients can use them properly."

Later, in the management committee meeting, Minister Amin Ur Rashid discussed the hospital's overall improvement and service quality. He said, "Give me some time. Insha Allah, Cumilla Medical College Hospital will soon be turned into a top healthcare institution in the country. All problems will be solved gradually." He added, "We all want to build a clean, broker-free and humane hospital together. People must be able to receive healthcare with trust and safety at government hospitals."

To achieve the hospital's overall development, patient welfare, administrative discipline and a broker-free environment, the meeting formed seven sub-committees: a cleanliness committee, administrative discipline committee, emergency department committee, pharmacy control committee, food committee, broker prevention and ambulance discipline committee, and a committee to oversee the rules and discipline of supplier institutions.

The minister briefed the members on the duties of these sub-committees and stressed the need to earn the trust of patients and their families at any cost. He noted that a large portion of helpless and poor people depend on government hospitals, and any obstacles they face while seeking treatment also impacts the government's image. He urged the management committee members to perform their duties with honesty, dedication and responsibility.