Patients have been suffering a lot for long as services at the 250-bed General Hospital, Kurigram has deteriorated due to shortage of beds as well as physicians and nurses.

The hospital started its journey as 50-bed Kurigram Modern Hospital in 1968 and it was upgraded to a 100-bed one as Kurigram Sadar Hospital in 1999.

Later, it was again upgraded to 250-bed as General Hospital, Kurigram in 2010 but patients, physicians and staff are now facing accommodation crisis there.

Around 800 patients at outdoor and around 250 patients at indoor departments are given treatment every day. Many indoor patients stay on the veranda due to shortage of beds.

Front view of the hospital. Photo: Abdul Wahed

“Around 70 patients take treatment in the medicine and surgery wards every day, even though there are only 28 beds there. Most of the patients stay on the hospital floor and veranda due to shortage of accommodation,” said Senior Staff Nurse Morsheda Khatun at medicine and surgery wards (female).   

“The 50-bed Kurigram Modern Hospital was set up in Kurigram town in 1968. The hospital was upgraded to 100-bed Kurigram Sadar Hospital in 1999 and to 250-bed General Hospital in 2010,” said hospital Superintendent Dr Anwarul Haque Pramanik.

“There are 18 doctors and 70 nurses against the posts of 42 doctors and 165 nurses at the hospital. Five medical officers are working at the indoor, outdoor and emergency departments as the posts of 24 doctors and 95 nurses have been vacant for long,” Dr Anwarul said.

Kadvanu Bewa, 70, came to the hospital from Andharirjhar area in Bhurungamari upazila of the district. “I have been staying for ten days on the veranda of the surgery ward (female) due to shortage of bed,” she told this correspondent.

“An eight-storey building is being constructed under the supervision of Kurigram Public Works Department (PWD). Construction was started on November 4, 2013 and it was supposed to end on June 30 in 2017. But construction work is not completed yet,” said Dr Anwarul.

“Patients have been suffering from shortage of beds since the 100-bed hospital was upgraded to 250-bed general hospital. I informed the higher authorities of health department, Kurigram deputy commissioner and PWD officials about the matter several times,” he added.

“To take better treatment, a large number of referred poor patients come to the general hospital from different upazila health complexes, union health sub-centres, union health and family planning welfare centres and community clinics in nine upazilas of the district. The building should be completed as soon as possible and handed over to the hospital authorities, considering the patients' sufferings ,” said Civil Surgeon Dr Aminul Islam.

The building is being constructed in the hospital compound at a cost of Tk 29 crore by DU-FU-MT JV (Joint Venture) under the supervision of Kurigram PWD, said Executive Engineer Dewan Maududur Rahman.

 “We are putting pressure on the JV contractors to complete it in a short time,” Dewan said.