Youth forum demands immediate opening of Rajshahi Children's Hospital

A memorandum has been submitted to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the Civil Surgeon of Rajshahi demanding the immediate operation of the specialised Rajshahi Children's Hospital to prevent child deaths and ensure accessible and quality healthcare. The submission also calls for effective measures to combat the highly contagious measles outbreak and the formation of an 'independent and permanent health commission'.

The memorandum was submitted on behalf of the Barind Youth Forum, a coalition of youth and development organisations in the Barind region, at 12:00 pm on Sunday.

Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Mosammat Mahbuba Khatun received the memorandum on behalf of the Rajshahi Civil Surgeon. Copies were also sent to the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, the Health Minister, the Health Services Division Secretary, the Director General of the Directorate of Drug Administration, the Divisional Commissioner of Rajshahi, the Director of Health for Rajshahi, the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Drug Administration's Rajshahi Divisional Office, the Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi, and the Director of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Present at the time were river and environment researcher Mahbub Siddiqui, Barind Youth Forum President Md Atiqur Rahman Atiq, General Secretary Poli Rani, Environment and Climate Secretary Tamim Tuli, Executive Director of Social Welfare Organisation Samrat Rayhan, General Secretary of Amar Bangla Tarun Sangha Tahmid Zaki, women leader Tahura Khatun Lily, and others.

The memorandum stated that despite healthcare being a fundamental right, many people are dying daily due to a lack of accessible and quality medical care across the country, including children. Due to inadequate ICU services, 33 children died while awaiting ICU admission at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital between March 11 and March 22. These children could have survived had they received ICU care.

The number of measles patients is increasing in Rajshahi, known as a medical hub. As measles is a highly contagious viral disease, it spreads rapidly through sneezing, coughing, speaking or direct contact. Complications from measles lead to pneumonia, diarrhoea, inflammation of the eyes and brain, and other diseases, creating life-threatening risks for children. In this situation, children require ICU care.

While children are dying due to a lack of ICU beds, the 200-bed specialised children's hospital built for Rajshahi remains neglected and unopened. Construction of the hospital in the TB Pukur area of Rajshahi city began in 2016 at a cost of Tk 35 crore. The entire construction work was completed by June 2023. However, for unknown reasons, healthcare services have not yet begun, depriving children of needed care and leading to premature deaths.

The memorandum also noted that the previous interim government formed an independent health sector reform commission, which submitted a report on May 5, 2025. The commission made over 400 recommendations, identifying 33 as immediately implementable.

The memorandum's demands include: immediately launch full-scale health services at the specialised 200-bed 'Rajshahi Children's Hospital'; take effective steps to prevent the spread of measles nationwide, ensuring accessible and quality treatment for the sick; ensure transparency and accountability at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, addressing all irregularities and mismanagement such as doctor negligence, absenteeism, broker activity and patient suffering; improve the quality of medical services at RMCH, including approval for an ICU complex and ensuring ICU facilities for 10 per cent of admitted patients; and form an 'independent and permanent health commission' while immediately implementing the recommendations of the 'Health Sector Reform Commission'.