Rangamati needs improved healthcare
It is deeply concerning that people in Rangamati are being deprived of critical medical services due to the absence of basic facilities and a shortage of doctors and staff at the Rangamati General Hospital. Reportedly, critically ill patients are being transferred to Chattogram regularly as the district hospital does not have the capacity to treat them. Established in 1984, the hospital still lacks vital facilities such as an ICU, CCU, or even a dialysis unit. As a result, patients suffering from heart disease, kidney failure, or other serious conditions are referred to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital, located about 60 kilometres away. In many cases, patients even need to travel to Dhaka for better treatment. Reportedly, 100 to 150 critical patients are sent to Chattogram for treatment every month. These patients have to face high medical expenses including additional costs of transportation, accommodation, and food, along with the physical strain of travel. This is unacceptable.
As per an estimate, Rangamati General Hospital serves approximately 650,000 residents across the 10 upazilas. Although it has only 100 beds, 200 to 250 patients are often admitted at a time. Due to overcrowding, patients frequently receive treatment on the floor. Moreover, shortages of doctors and support staff have been a persistent issue, causing many to be denied care. Reportedly, despite there being 31 sanctioned positions for doctors, only 22 are currently serving. Furthermore, the hospital lacks the infrastructure needed to provide intensive care. A six-storey building constructed near the hospital in 2009—to house a CCU for cardiac patients—is now being used by Rangamati Medical College, as its permanent campus is yet to be built. In 2021, another initiative was undertaken to introduce ICU, CCU, and dialysis units, and increase the number of hospital beds, with the foundation of an 11-storey building laid. However, that project remains incomplete.
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This situation mirrors the long-standing mismanagement and systemic irregularities witnessed across our healthcare sector, and has real impacts for struggling districts like Rangamati. We, therefore, urge the government to ensure the General Hospital is fully equipped to provide comprehensive care. The authorities must establish ICU, CCU, and dialysis units there to serve critically ill patients, while the ongoing crisis of doctors and medical staff must also be resolved. For the overall improvement of our health sector, the reform proposals forwarded by the Health Sector Reform Commission must be implemented.
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