A public cancer hospital in crisis
It is deeply concerning that the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH)—the country's premier public facility for cancer care—is failing to provide radiotherapy treatment due to prolonged equipment failure. For over 19 days, according to a report by The Daily Star, all six radiotherapy machines at the hospital have been out of service, forcing cancer patients to delay their treatment at the risk of their conditions worsening or spreading.
NICRH is not just another healthcare facility; it is a lifeline for many patients, especially those from poor backgrounds, who rely on its subsidised services. For such a vital institution to go even a single day without functioning radiotherapy machines is thus unacceptable. That the current paralysis has dragged on for nearly three weeks only shows the gravity of the situation. In fact, the equipment failure has been a persistent problem for NICRH: one of the machines has been out of order for two years, and another for over a year. How has such a critical problem been allowed to continue unchecked for so long?
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. For many cancer patients, seeking treatment at private clinics is not an option due to the exorbitant costs involved. They rely on NICRH for affordable care. When that care is delayed, they face harrowing choices—some borrow or exhaust their life savings to seek private treatment, while others are left with no option but to wait, risking their lives as cancer progresses.
Reports of similar incidents paint a grim picture of recurring dysfunction at NICRH. Last year, Prothom Alo reported that all of the hospital's radiotherapy machines had malfunctioned. At that time, even the X-ray machine was out of order for two weeks. These repeated breakdowns are symptomatic of a broader systemic failure in public healthcare, at the core of which lies a disturbing culture of indifference and irregularities. Instead of prioritising urgent repairs or replacing outdated equipment, hospital authorities have shown a complacent attitude, waiting for external interventions that rarely come in time.
For many cancer patients, seeking treatment at private clinics is not an option due to the exorbitant costs involved. They rely on NICRH for affordable care. When that care is delayed, they face harrowing choices—some borrow or exhaust their life savings to seek private treatment, while others are left with no option but to wait, risking their lives as cancer progresses.
We urge the health authorities to address this crisis immediately. The radiotherapy machines at NICRH must be repaired or replaced immediately, and measures must be taken to prevent such prolonged disruptions in the future. The possibility that certain vested quarters may be deliberately sabotaging these machines to drive patients towards private facilities must also be thoroughly investigated. The health directorate's long-standing failure to properly oversee public hospitals like NICRH also must be rectified.
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