The sorry state of the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal, where a number of diagnostic machines have remained out of order for more than half a decade, is deeply concerning. SBMCH is the only fully-fledged hospital not just for the people of the six districts of Barishal division but also for patients from other southern districts such as Sandwip, Hatiya, and Gopalganj. However, instead of receiving subsidised diagnostic and medical services at this public facility, they are forced to pay for medical tests and treatment at nearby private clinics and diagnostic centres.

According to a report by Banik Barta, the only MRI machine at the hospital has been out of service for eight years. As a result, patients needing MRI scans are forced to go to private clinics where the cost ranges from Tk 5,000 to Tk 25,000—which is often beyond the means of poor patients. Other essential medical equipment, including three ultrasonogram machines and eight X-ray machines, have also been non-functional for several years. Even common eye surgeries cannot be performed because the hospital's LASIK laser machine has been out of service for seven years, while the phaco machine for cataract surgery is also currently broken. It is beyond comprehension why the hospital authorities have not replaced or repaired these machines despite their prolonged dysfunction. There are allegations that a syndicate of hospital staff and doctors benefits from this situation, referring patients to private facilities in exchange for commissions.

Following the ouster of the Awami League government, many doctors and officials who were affiliated with the party and benefited from the regime's corrupt practices were removed from public hospitals, including SBMCH. However, corruption is so deeply rooted in our health system that its eradication is yet to be achieved. In SBMCH's case, we hope the new hospital management will be able to identify and dismantle the syndicate profiting from the "broken-machine business." They should urgently replace the faulty and broken machines so that patients can receive care at the public hospital at subsidised rates. Finally, we hope the healthcare reform commission will recommend effective measures to ensure greater accountability among doctors and hospital staff and eliminate corruption from the sector.