Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital (ShSMCH) has partially resumed its services after a fire broke out on Thursday.
The hospital services resumed on Friday.
Patients, who were immediately shifted to different hospitals after the fire broke out, have started coming back to the hospital, which has also set up a temporary desk to receive the patients.
According to the desk list till 4pm Friday, around 800 patients of 1178 have returned to the hospital and now admitted to wards 1, 2, 5, 7 and 10.
Around 350 patients were moved to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). 70-80 patients went back to their homes instead of going to other hospitals.
Senior Staff Nurse of the ShSMCH Nurjahan Begum, while speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, said: “There are 14 wards in the hospital. All were closed on Thursday due to the fire.
“Now 10 wards have resumed services and four others are yet closed due damages.”
The closed are ward 11 of the Department of Pediatrics-Medicine, ward 12 Department of Gynecology, ward 8 and 9 of Department of Surgery.
Another Senior Staff Nurse Farida Yeasmin said: “Our cabin block is closed but admission is open from morning.
“Around 25 new patients got admitted today (Friday). Normally, 60-70 patients get admitted daily. Around 150 patients took treatment from the emergency section as outdoor remains closed on Friday.
Patients, family members suffer due to the fire
Patients and their families panicked after a fire broke out at the hospital. They were found lying on the ground due to lack of beds.
Surgery patient Sharifun Nahar who was in the ICU during the fire, was admitted on January 31. During the incident she was immediately shifted to the DMCH.
Her nephew Najmul Huda said it was too risky to transfer her to another place since her surgery took place few hours before the fire. “But we had to do this for the sake of saving her life as smoke was all around the ICU.”
Another surgery patient Sabina’s brother Mubinur Rahman said: “My sister was admitted to ward no 8 of the 2nd floor. She was sent to DMCH on Thursday. We returned here today around 3pm.”
“She had an operation on her backbone. When we heard about the fire we saw the smoke spreading around, and got frightened. She suffered damage in her operated area and cannot move now.”
Seven-year-old baby Shakib’s guardian Billal Shekh said: “He was admitted to the Department of Pediatrics on the 2nd floor. When I came to know about the fire I took my baby in my arms and ran.
“The hospital is a place of safety for patients. But I think due to lack of consciousness the fire incident occurred and the life of patients were at risk.”
Associate Professor Dr SM Qamrul Akhter of the Department of Surgery said: “During the incident nurses and doctors helped to transfer the ICU patients. They even continued ventilation with hand ventilators to ensure flow of oxygen.”
There is health risk due to the smell of burnt substances inside the hospital and it may cause children breathing difficulties.
When contacted, the Hospital Director Prof Dr Uttam Kumar Barua said: “We have formed a seven member committee to investigate the incident.
The Fire Service authority primarily suspects that the fire originated from a room of Prof HM Feroj due to short circuit. The room is adjacent to a storeroom on the ground floor, which contained some combustible substances, such as syringe, plastic foam, bandage, medicine, AC and fridge.
“It gradually spread to the first floor and then the second floor of the hospital building. But no casualties took place.”
“The Gynecology ward 12 on the second floor suffered the most damage because of the fire. Ward 11, the children’s ward incurred damages as well,” Dr Uttam added.
When asked whether they had adequate number of fire extinguishers in the hospital, Director Uttam said: “The numbers of fire extinguishers in the hospital are inadequate.”
He said, most of the fire extinguishers are old, there are some new ones as well. But that is not enough for the hospital.
Further, was no one to use these fire extinguishers since all leave the hospital by 3pm. Due to this reason the fire spread to 2nd floor.
Health Ministry Zahid Malik in a press briefing on Friday, said: “This is a lesson for all of us, a wake-up call for all hospitals in Bangladesh.
“A lot of our hospitals were established a long time ago. The fire fighting system in these hospitals must be modernized. Hospitals use electrical equipment. These need to be checked as well.”