Nat’l institute of ophthalmology: Outdoor services resume amid security concerns

Outdoor services at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH) resumed yesterday after more than two weeks, bringing relief to patients seeking eye treatment.

At 11:20am, over 100 patients were seen waiting on the hospital's ground floor. A total of 577 patients received treatment at the outdoor department throughout the day.

However, many patients were unable to receive treatment, as the service was limited to four hours -- about 2.5 hours less than usual.

The 250-bed hospital, the country's largest government eye care facility, had suspended all services on May 28 following a clash between hospital staff and a group of patients injured in the July uprising, along with other patients and their attendants.

Emergency services resumed on a limited scale from June 4, but all other operations remained closed until yesterday.

Six doctors were on duty when the outdoor services resumed at 8:00am, and a large number of patients gathered.

Md Babul, 50, a driver by profession, came to the hospital on Wednesday but didn't get treatment. "I came again today [yesterday] with my eye problems," he said while standing in the queue.

Arif Ahmed, a private employee from Munshiganj, said, "I came to the hospital at 9:30am and I'm still waiting," while speaking at around 12:00pm.

Hospital Staff Raise
Security Concerns

Zane Alam, acting director of the hospital, said all services are expected to fully resume from Saturday as per the health ministry's instructions.

However, hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, have expressed concerns over security. They submitted a memorandum to the health adviser through the acting director seeking protection.

In the memorandum, the staffers said they have been providing treatment to all patients injured in the July Movement with high priority and standard. Still, the hospital is currently facing a serious security crisis and an increasingly untenable situation.

"Some patients who no longer require treatment have been occupying hospital beds unnecessarily for nearly ten months. They have been violating hospital discipline by engaging in unruly behaviour, verbally abusing and physically attacking doctors and staff, and even threatening the hospital director with assault and arson," reads the memorandum.

The staff placed eight demands, including the rehabilitation of the July injured, formal discharge of patients who no longer need hospital-based care and ensuring their departure from the hospital, proper treatment and compensation for the staffers injured in attacks by miscreants on May 28, and legal action against those responsible for the May 28 attack.

The acting director said police deployment has been increased to improve security, and they hope to resume all services from Saturday.

Regarding the injured in July uprising, he said 54 were officially admitted, but only five were found at the hospital. As a result, the remaining 49 have been declared "absconded" according to hospital rules.

He added that if the patients return, the government will take necessary steps.

Meanwhile, Raju Islam from Thakurgaon, who lost vision in one eye during the July uprising and is one of the five remaining patients at the hospital, said a few injured patients have returned.

"We don't want any conflict. But we're not getting proper treatment here," he said.