The air was heavy with the cries of wounded men, women and children at the surgery ward of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal yesterday.

A sudden rush of injured patients, their relatives, visitors and journalists to the hospital made the environment chaotic.

Most of the injured passengers of MV Abhijan-10 were undergoing treatment in the hospital corridors due to the increased number of patients.

As of filing this report last evening, 70 passengers with burn injuries were admitted to the hospital. Two of them were receiving treatment at the intensive care unit while at least 10 were referred to Dhaka for better treatment.

According to hospital sources, 18 patients were admitted to the surgery (male) unit, 20 to surgery (female) unit, and eight to surgery (children) unit. At least eight to 10 patients suffered burns in the respiratory tract, said Assistant Prof Md Ferdous of surgery (male) unit.

Most of the patients suffered eight to 20 percent burns to their bodies, Saiful said.

Doctors said 50 percent of the patients suffered burns. Patients with burns to their respiratory system were suffering more as they did not get liquid meal.

Injured passengers with more than 50 percent burns to their bodies were referred to Dhaka for improved treatment.

The 16-bed burn and plastic surgery unit of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital was opened in 2015, but it has been out of service for the last two years.

It was closed after the then only senior consultant, Azad Sajal, of the unit died in an accident on April 28, 2020, said AHM Saiful Islam, director of the hospital.

He said burn patients are now treated at the medicine or surgery unit. Amid such a situation, a 7-member team from Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery was on the way to Barishal from Dhaka yesterday to provide advanced treatment for those who suffered burns in the fire at MV Abhijan-10, he added.

Saiful said they had earlier writtento the higher authorities to appoint doctors, technicians and nurses to the burn and plastic surgery unit, but they were yet to get any response.

With 40 percent burns to his body, Bankim Majumdar was lying on the floor of a corridor. Most of the patients with burns to their respiratory system did not get a bed.

The hospital's assistant director, Moniruzzaman Shaheen, said they formed three teams, comprising of five doctors and 15 interns each, to provide treatment to the patients.

Assistant Professor Md Ferdous said at least 100 burn injury patients are admitted to the hospital's surgery unit each year.

Director Saiful said they tried to keep all burn injury patients at a single unit yesterday, but could not do so due to the large number of patients.

Although the hospital has 1,000 beds, it provides treatment to about 2,000 to 3,000 patients every day. And that's why it cannot ensure bed for each patient, he added.