It is unfortunate that the services at the new eight-storey building of Narsingdi Sadar Hospital have yet to begin, even after four years of its completion. The problem persists due to an acute shortage of manpower and equipment, while patients are forced to receive treatment on the floors and in the corridors of the hospital’s old 100-bed building. According to a report published in this daily, the hospital—the district’s main government healthcare facility—struggles to cope with a daily flow of around 1,200 patients, operating from its old infrastructure. Patients report standing in long queues, with some waiting up to four hours just to consult a doctor at the outpatient department.
As the hospital is situated right beside the Dhaka–Sylhet highway, many road accident victims and critically injured patients are frequently brought here. However, they are often referred to Dhaka’s hospitals, as the ICU, CCU, SDU, isolation units, and expanded emergency services in the new building are not operational. Along with loss of time and money, the delay of transferring patients to Dhaka often turns life-threatening.
The project to upgrade the hospital to 250 beds was taken in 2019, and construction of the eight-storey building was completed by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2022. However, the hospital authority did not take over the building from PWD, because they said it is not feasible to operate a 250-bed facility with manpower allocated for a 100-bed hospital. Disappointingly, several requisitions were sent to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) seeking additional staff, but to no avail. Although the civil surgeon of Narsingdi said efforts are underway to resolve the manpower crisis and make the new building operational within the year, he did not explain why the building, worth Tk 40.38 crore, has been lying idle for four years.
Bangladesh’s public healthcare has long been marred by unused hospital buildings. It is time that infrastructure development is strictly tied to workforce recruitment. The DGHS must immediately fulfil the staffing requisitions for Narsingdi Sadar Hospital to operationalise its ICU and emergency units situated in the new building. Furthermore, the health ministry must implement a strict protocol ensuring no future medical building is constructed without a pre-approved staffing plan. Government must ensure public funds translate into active patient care, not just empty concrete structures.
