Nat’l Eye Institute : Thousands denied treatment over two weeks

Thousands of patients have been deprived of treatment as most services at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH) in Dhaka remained suspended for two weeks until yesterday.

Hospital authorities plan to partially resume outdoor services from 8:00am today, with full resumption expected from Saturday.

However, some staffers, including doctors, remain sceptical about fully restoring services, as several individuals injured during the July uprising continue to "occupy" a section of the hospital despite having been issued discharge letters.

"The authorities are planning to fully resume operations from Saturday, but everyone is still panicked about the previous incidents. Given the current situation, we remain sceptical about a full resumption of services," said a doctor on condition of anonymity.

Staffers also alleged that some of the injured July protesters -- referred to as July Joddha (warriors) as per a government notice -- have been misbehaving with hospital personnel, and that a few were involved in malpractices such as brokering patient admissions and giving bribes to fast-track surgeries.

On the other hand, several of the injured protesters said they would leave once they receive clear directives regarding their treatment plans. They also accused the hospital authorities of neglect and malpractice.

This correspondent yesterday found six of them in Room-415 of the dedicated care unit for the July injured on the third floor. They said others had left ahead of Eid but would soon return.

Among them was Raju Islam from Thakurgaon, who lost vision in his right eye during the July uprising.

He claimed that 56 injured individuals had remained admitted at the hospital, with eight staying through Eid and six still present. "The rest will return too," he said, dismissing the allegations by hospital staff as "fake".

"They're spreading falsehoods through the media, saying we're occupying the hospital and have locked the unit. If we locked the unit, how could you reach us?" he asked this correspondent.

Hospital sources, meanwhile, said that 55 of the July protesters are still officially admitted.

According to 2023 government data, the 250-bed hospital -- the country's largest government eye care facility -- typically serves around 1,800 outdoor and emergency patients daily, with about 40 new admissions every day.

A doctor, however, said the hospital was seeing over 3,000 outpatients daily before services were suspended.

Following two untoward incidents, doctors, nurses, and other staffers began a work stoppage on the morning of May 28, citing safety concerns.

Around 11:00am that day, a group of injured protesters allegedly attacked hospital staff, sparking a tripartite clash involving other patients and their attendants, Prof Khair Ahmed Choudhury told The Daily Star later that evening.

Several doctors and nurses were injured, and their residential quarters were also attacked, he added. Meanwhile, the July protesters claimed they too were assaulted by hospital staff and police during the incident.

The protesters later demanded that four doctors, including the hospital director, who is currently on leave, be barred from serving at the facility.

Following the clash, all medical services at the hospital were suspended for a week. Limited emergency services resumed on June 4 after a series of meetings involving the health ministry, the Directorate General of Health Services, hospital authorities, and representatives of the injured July protesters.

That same day, a four-member medical board -- formed by the health ministry and comprising ophthalmologists from four major hospitals -- assessed the conditions of the injured protesters.

The board, led by Prof Mostak Ahmed, head of the Ophthalmology Department at Dhaka Medical College, examined 31 individuals and recommended that they be discharged, a NIOH doctor said on condition of anonymity.

Based on the board's recommendations, hospital authorities issued discharge letters to those cleared. But tensions flared again when some protesters allegedly confined NIOH acting director Dr Zane Alam to his office and tore up the discharge letters, the doctor said.

Some of the injured protesters, however, claimed they were not even informed about the formation of the medical board.

This correspondent was unable to reach Acting Director Dr Zane Alam for comments.

Yesterday, this correspondent observed patients being treated at the emergency unit, and by 2:30pm, 76 patients had received care. Several surgeries were conducted, and 29 patients were newly admitted, mostly after receiving emergency treatment, a nurse said.

However, not all seeking care were accommodated. Priya Akhter, who came with a swollen eye, said she was denied treatment as her condition did not "qualify as an emergency" according to the doctors.

"They asked me to return to the outdoor unit on Saturday. But the pain is unbearable, so I'll have to go to a private hospital," she said.