Doors shut on the war-wounded

The Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust Hospital in the city has remained closed for the past five years while most war-wounded freedom fighters lack proper medical facilities.

The hospital at Mirpur was established on December 16, 1979 with the intention to provide medical facilities to war-wounded freedom fighters and their families. It began operation in 1981 under the supervision of Muktijoddha Complex Fund Committee and continued till 1993.

The trust had leased out the hospital for 10 years to the 'Muslim Ummah Corporation,' a non-government organisation, on January 15, 1994. However, the agreement was cancelled four years later after the corporation failed to pay the Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust as agreed. The trust got hold of the hospital again on December 29, 1998 and since then it has been at a standstill.

The government employs a team of 10 ansars and two officers to guard the hospital with all its valuable equipment. This arrangement costs the government Tk 77,000 per month.

However, the guards suffer various inconveniences.

"It is hard for us to look after the huge hospital area with such a small manpower," said the ansars in-charge. Moreover, there has been no supply of water for the past one year. "We have to fetch water in buckets from other places," noted ansar Mobarak.

He also mentioned that gas connection was severed eight months ago.

At least 273 of the 3,200 war-wounded freedom fighters who needed treatment for one reason or another across the country have died. Most of them died because of lack of proper medical facilities, said some of the freedom fighters at the sanatorium at Mohammadpur in the city.

Most of them stressed on a fully-fledged hospital and rehabilitation centre. " While the government is spending a good amount of money to maintain a closed hospital, there is no effort towards creating better medical facilities for us," noted Mohammed Belaluddin, a wounded freedom fighter.

There were several legal complications about the hospital, said State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Redwan Ahmed. "We are almost done with those," he added. He said the government has decided to reopen the hospital soon.