Residents of the remote chars of Charbhadrasan upazila in Faridpur suffer badly from a lack of adequate health care and decent transport. A woman with breathing difficulties has now died on a trawler while being taken to Charhajiganj bazar for treatment. Local residents and social workers are demanding a hospital of at least 20 to 30 beds to provide emergency care on the chars, along with better transport and bridges at key points.
The woman lived in the Char Salepur area of Char Harirampur union. Her husband, Hashem Molla, lives in the Monir Khaner Bazar area. She was the mother of three daughters and two sons.
According to the family and local sources, the woman was being taken by trawler to Charhajiganj bazar for treatment of breathing problems, but she died on the trawler before it reached its destination. Her husband, who had set out hoping to save his wife, lost her in the end. He then headed back to the char on a return trawler with her body for burial. The death has caused grief on the chars and concern about the limits of health care there.
“My wife was suffering from breathing problems. I was taking her to Charhajiganj bazar for treatment, but she died on the trawler before we got there. I am in a very helpless state. I wanted to get her treated to save her, but in the end I could not. If there were good treatment nearby on our char, she could have been treated quickly. I want no other husband to be left helpless, losing his wife like this. Let a hospital of at least 20 to 30 beds be built on our char,” said her husband, Hashem Molla.
“Transport in Harirampur union urgently needs improving. Most roads here are broken. A bridge over the dead Salepur river between Hajar Bigha and Char Salepur would make movement much easier for people on the chars. A health centre of at least 20 beds here is also very urgent to provide health care for people on the chars,” said local social worker Faisal Hossain Shawon.
“It is very urgent to provide adequate health care for people on the Charbhadrasan chars. The death of a sick woman on a trawler on the way to treatment is very painful. People on the chars have to travel a long way for emergency treatment. Getting care quickly is especially important for breathing problems, complications in childbirth and other emergencies. So we demand swift steps to build a hospital of at least 20 to 30 beds to ease the suffering of people on the chars,” said local social worker Mostafa Kabir.
“The limits of health care on the chars of Char Harirampur union are a serious problem. Because transport is so difficult, it is often hard to get emergency patients to a health centre quickly. The death of a woman on the way to treatment is very sad. A hospital needs to be built here to provide health care for people on the chars. The matter must be brought to the attention of the authorities and the necessary steps taken,” said Billal Hossain, panel chairman of Char Harirampur union.
“Nobody told me earlier about a woman dying on a trawler on the way to treatment. I have learned of it through you. I will look into it and speak to the ghat leaseholders. I will try to take the necessary steps so that a patient who falls suddenly ill can be taken across quickly at the ghat. We will take seriously the need to avoid wasting time with emergency patients,” said Charbhadrasan upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Md Julhas Hossain Sourav.
People on the chars complain that difficult transport, broken roads and a lack of adequate medical facilities make it hard to get patients to a health centre quickly in an emergency. Because travel depends on the river, getting timely treatment for critically ill patients is a major challenge.
They say a hospital or full health centre of at least 20 to 30 beds is needed on the chars, with round-the-clock doctors and emergency services, a supply of essential medicines and an effective way to transport emergency patients. Repairing key roads and building a bridge over the dead Salepur river would also make travel and access to health care easier.
Local people hope the woman’s death will come to the attention of the administration and the health department, and that a practical plan and swift, effective steps will resolve the chars’ long-standing health care crisis and bring safe, accessible care.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report