A brand new trauma centre in Habiganj sitting idle since 2013

It is very disappointing that the construction of the trauma centre in Habiganj's Bahubal upazila which was completed in 2013 is yet to be operational due to lack of electricity and gas connections. Given the mounting tragedies that result from road accidents on a daily basis, the government launched a project named "Physical Development" to develop 10 trauma centres on six national highways aiming to provide emergency treatments to victims injured in accidents on our highways. Unfortunately, after spending Tk 3.18 crore, the three-storied, 10-bed trauma centre near Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Bahubal Upazila Health Complex is unable to treat any patients. 

In 2013, Habiganj Palli Biddut Samity sent a demand note to Public Works Department (PWD) to pay Tk 48,120 for an electricity connection. Habiganj PWD then received the demand note and deposited the money. It then sent two letters to Habiganj Palli Biddut Samity for the power connection on May 26 in 2014 and January 29 in 2015 respectively, but Palli Biddut Samity later demanded an additional Tk 6 lakh for power connection. In 2013 PWD wrote a letter to the Jalalabad Gas Company asking for a demand note for gas connection which never saw the light of day. As a result, the Health Department never accepted the building.

It is unfathomable why a brand new health complex should be sitting idle for several years because it cannot get the necessary utility connections. Why have the authorities been sitting on this and allowed so much resources to go to waste? A trauma centre is crucial for this area as countless lives are lost on the highways simply because they cannot reach the hospital on time as it is too far away. We hope the government and the concerned authorities will take immediate steps to ensure the supply of electricity and gas to the complex for it to start operating so that road crash victims can get immediate medical attention and lives can be saved.