The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) is struggling to ensure proper treatment to all its patients, with the hospital currently admitting more than twice as many patients than its capacity.
Md Shahid Mia, a South Keranigonj resident who came to the NICVD yesterday morning with chest pain, was told by doctors that he needed an angiogram to check whether his heart had a blocked artery.
However, he had to roam around the hospital until 3:30pm, as no bed was available for him.
Sumi, a relative who accompanied Shahid, told the Dhaka Tribune that the doctor could not assure a bed, but admitted Shahid as he needed emergency examination.
Offers of handsome amounts of money to the hospital staff were also unable to secure a bed, Sumi said, expressing her dismay about the possibility of the patient having to stand throughout the night.
Montu Mia, a 75-year-old patient from Feni’s Chhagalnaiya upazila, was forced to secure a place on the floor beside a lift, after being unable to manage a bed in the 24 hours since he was admitted to the hospital on Monday.
Sources said a record number of around 900 patients were currently admitted at the indoor section of the 431-bed hospital. Different wards of the hospital were found to be fully occupied, with patients being forced to stay on the floor. All available spaces on the corridors, and in front of stairs, lifts, and even toilets, were occupied by patients.
Most of these patients, who came from outside Dhaka, were concerned about the winter chills they would have to suffer during the night.
Sources said around 800-900 patients received treatment every day at the emergency and outdoor services, with around 150 patients being both daily admitted and released.
Seeking anonymity, a senior doctor told the Dhaka Tribune that although emergency patients were not usually kept on the floors, there was no alternative available now. He also said there was no space for doctors or nurses to move around the post-coronary care unit yesterday, as the 54-bed unit had around 90 patients admitted.
Prof Dr Abdullah Al Shafi Mazumder, director of the NICVD hospital, said: “I have never experienced such a huge number of admitted patients during the last three years of my directorship.
“Usually we have 600-650 admitted patients. On Monday, the number of admitted patients was 841. Today (Tuesday) the number of patients was more than previous day,” the director added.
He said previous years saw the number of patients decrease during winter; but the scenario was different this year.
The director said the situation had gone beyond the hospital’s control and capacity, and serious patients had to be kept on the floor, as bed could not be provided.
The hospital would be able to manage more patients after the completion of a 200-bed expansion that was included in the annual development programme, he said.
A relative of a patient, preferring to stay unnamed, sought the attention of the health ministry for supplying a few movable beds for the seriously ill patients who would not be able to tolerate the cold.