At the first meeting of the Faridpur General Hospital management committee, its chairman and Faridpur-3 (Sadar) member of parliament (MP) Chowdhury Nayab Yusuf expressed anger and dissatisfaction at the severe deterioration of the hospital’s environment and healthcare. Seeing heaps of waste at the back of the hospital for lack of cleanliness, he lamented: “The hospital looks as if it has become a dustbin.”
He made the remarks while presiding over the management committee meeting held in the hospital conference room on Thursday (6 August) afternoon.
Staff shortage and pressure of 200 patients
The 100-bed heritage hospital, established in 1917, has a severe shortage of doctors, nurses and cleaning staff. After an on-the-spot inspection, MP Nayab Yusuf said: “Although the hospital has 100 beds, more than 200 patients are currently admitted. Unable to find space, many patients are being treated lying on the floor. There is an acute staff shortage — from cleaners to nurses and doctors, there is a shortage at every level. If this crisis can be resolved, people of all classes in Faridpur will benefit.”
Move to upgrade the hospital to 250 beds
The MP said there was a plan to upgrade the hospital to 250 beds to improve its medical services and reduce congestion. A DO (demi-official) letter had already been sent to the health ministry seeking new infrastructure and modern medical equipment, and development work would begin in phases once the necessary budget was passed.
Stressing accountability, he said the country had long lacked it: “Now we have come to a place of accountability. If the hospital or roads are in such a poor state in the area whose people voted for us, the people will surely demand answers.” Seventeen years of accumulated mess could not be cleared in a day, he said, but within the next year the people of Faridpur would see positive change here.
Also present were Dr Mahmudul Hasan (civil surgeon), Md Sohrab Hossain (additional district magistrate, overall), Fatema Islam (additional superintendent of police, administration), Kazi Faruk Ahmed (deputy director, Department of Family Planning), ASM Anisur Rahman (deputy director, Department of Health) and Md Ehiyatuzzaman (deputy director, Department of Social Services), along with other committee members and senior administration officials.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report