A 100-bed facility only on paper

Dhaka South City Corporation has two hospitals and a Matri Sadan under its management. Recent investigations by The Daily Star has brought to the fore their shambolic state. On today's second report, we take a look into DHAKA MAHANAGAR SHISHU HOSPITAL.

Even when it's afternoon, one can barely see anything inside. Many beds are worn-down, while others don't have any covers.

From outside, the condition of the yellowish structure is not faring any better either. The colour coating is coming off, moss has started to take root as well, which is surprising for a building constructed as soon as in 1990.

This is the present condition of Dhaka City South Corporation-run 100-bed Dhaka Mahanagar Shishu Hospital. This four-storey hospital is located at Lalbagh's Goura Sundar Roy Lane.

The hospital's surgery department has remained shut for the last 13 years. As a result, 40 of the 100 beds at the hospital are also unavailable. The condition of the other 60 beds aren't very well either, which means the hospital is a 100-bed facility only on paper.

According to DSCC health department data, 2,005 outpatients took service at the hospital in 2020-21 fiscal year. The indoors served 678 patients, while the emergency served 442. As the surgery department is closed, not even a minor operation has taken place in this time.

The ground floor of the premises hosts the emergency and outpatient departments. To avail medical service at a cheap rate, people from the lower-income segment crowd the place every day. As the hospital is also a Covid-19 vaccination centre, there's an additional pressure of visitors.

Among them, Al-Amin Mia, came here from Chawkbazar. He told this correspondent that he was there with his six-year-old child.

"I'm a van-puller by profession. My son has had a fever for the last two days. I can't afford to take him to costlier hospitals, which is why I've come here," he said.

The same was echoed by Asma Khatun, a resident of Lalbagh who came to the hospital with her daughter Parul. "It's way cheaper here. For those of us who live by the day, this is the only place we can afford."

Meanwhile, the hospital's pediatric surgery department has remained shut since 2008. Hospital sources said this can be attributed to the lack of a surgery consultant, which is why the department stays closed even after having an operation theatre.

Moreover, this means the 40-odd beds dedicated for this department are also out of bounds for patients.

The second floor of the hospital hosts a 40-bed ward, but the entire space is dirty. Almost half of the beds, most of which were dilapidated, did not have patients in them. Even the bed covers reeked of dirt, while moss was visible on the ward's walls.

A hospital staffer told this correspondent that every time it rains, water seeps into the ward through the walls.

Meanwhile, there's also a crisis of physicians at the hospital.

According to the hospital's organogram, the 100-bed hospital is supposed to have 22 doctors. But along with medical officers, the hospital currently has 16. There's another doctor who comes here once a week to see patients.

Wishing anonymity, a hospital official said despite writing to DSCC authorities to solve the crisis, they're yet to take steps.

Contacted, DSCCs Chief Health Officer Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir said, "We have a doctors' shortage at the hospital. We've contacted the health ministry and asked them to resolve it."

"Recruitment is currently under process… we're at the final stage of hiring nurses, who have joined the hospital," he said.