Take swift action to activate inoperative hospitals

Many patients are unable to receive treatment due to a lack of hospitals, yet they are forced to travel long distances while hospitals exist nearby on paper. The hospitals may have doctors and staff who receive regular salaries, and the infrastructure might be intact, but what is missing is any real activity at these hospitals.

A report published in the media on Sunday (October 20) revealed that not just for two or five years, but for a staggering 18 years, the 20-bed hospital in Santahar, Bogura, has not had its inpatient department (indoor) operational. There are various reasons for its failure to start. However, the outpatient department (outdoor) is functioning on paper. Doctors reportedly 'regularly see patients' except on holidays, and according to prescriptions, staff supposedly distribute medicines to patients. Yet, upon verifying the outpatient operations last Wednesday, shocking information emerged. It was found that at 10 AM, a large lock was hanging on the hospital gate, despite the expectation that the outpatient services should be active at that time.

Despite the responsibility of the Residential Medical Officer (RMO), the local people have never seen him. Although five senior staff nurses, a medical technologist, a pharmacist, and a ward boy have been appointed, they do not feel the need to go to the hospital.

A similar situation has been observed in two other hospitals in Bogura—Nandigram and Aliar Hat in Shibganj. The modern buildings of these three hospitals are gradually becoming abandoned. Weeds are growing on the walls, and plaster is peeling off. Years of neglect seem unbearable for the deteriorating infrastructure. While efforts to operationalize these three hospitals have dragged on for a long time, the local population continues to rush to the city for proper medical treatment, even with well-constructed facilities at their fingertips.

According to district health engineering sources, the construction of this hospital began in 2004 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare during the BNP government, with a budget of 3.33 crore Taka. The contractor for the project was a company owned by Shahrin Islam Tuhin, the nephew of the then-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. However, the contractor abandoned the project without completing the work and withdrew the bills. After that, due to a lack of oversight from the authorities, the hospital became an abandoned place for drug addicts. In 2019, the ministry initiated the construction of the remaining infrastructure, including staff quarters, for an additional 3.14 crore Taka, which was completed in 2021. However, three years later, the situation has not improved.

A hospital is not like other institutions; it is related to people's lives and deaths. Therefore, neglect, carelessness, and mismanagement in healthcare cannot be tolerated. We demand that such irregularities and corruption be stopped immediately. Hospitals are sanctuaries for sick individuals. Countless critically ill patients risk their lives while wandering far and wide, deprived of nearby medical services due to the actions of a few miscreants. This also leads to wastage of public resources. Therefore, those responsible should be brought to justice swiftly, and measures should be taken to activate the inoperative hospitals as soon as possible.