The National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery is witnessing a surge in burn patients as shivering winter conditions prompt widespread use of fire and hot water for warmth.
Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, resident medical officer of the Burn Institute Emergency Department, told Dhaka Tribune that winter sees a significant rise in burn cases from fire, hot water, and kitchen accidents. “Women and children are the most affected, particularly from warming fires and hot water burns, while men are mostly admitted for other accidental injuries.”
He added that apart from the winter season, the emergency department treats 40 to 45 patients daily, but during winter the number rises to 60 to 65, with many arriving from outside Dhaka in critical condition.
Seventy-year-old Sakina is among the latest patients. According to her daughter, Jamila Khatun, Sakina was sitting outside her home warming herself by a fire around 10am on Tuesday when her sari caught fire. Flames spread from her feet to her entire body. Neighbors extinguished the fire, but she suffered severe burns, including to her face, and was initially taken to a nearby hospital before being referred to the Burn Institute, arriving around 4pm. She is currently receiving treatment with oxygen support and bandages covering most of her body.
In a separate incident, 45-year-old Halima from Chittagong suffered serious burns while preparing a winter bath. Hot water spilled on her body while she was removing a pot from the stove. She was first admitted to a local hospital, but as her condition worsened, she was referred to the Burn Institute. She arrived in Dhaka around 11pm, underwent surgery, and is now receiving ongoing treatment in a ward.
Meanwhile, eight-year-old Toha was burned on his back, waist, and legs while warming himself by a fire in Valuka at around 7 am. After initial treatment locally, he was transferred to the Burn Institute. He told doctors he did not understand how the fire caught on his clothes, and his mother extinguished the flames after hearing his cries.
Between January 1 and January 6, the institute treated 324 patients in its emergency department, admitting 80. In December 2025, 1,200 patients were treated and 364 admitted. In November, 1,138 were treated and 298 admitted, while in October, 1,091 patients received treatment and 269 were admitted.
The 500-bed institute has 72 critical care beds, including a 20-bed ICU, a 22-bed male HDU, and a 30-bed female HDU.
Dr Shawon advised measures to prevent winter burns, including keeping cooking pots and utensils out of children’s reach, carrying hot bathing water in buckets instead of bathing near stoves, and avoiding warming oneself directly by fire. He urged immediate cooling of burns with normal-temperature water for 20 to 30 minutes and warned against using toothpaste, eggs, or ice. He stressed the importance of seeking prompt medical care.
Plans to establish burn units in five medical college hospitals outside Dhaka remain pending. A 2022 project aimed to set up units in Sylhet, Barisal, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Faridpur but was delayed after the Saudi Development Fund loan agreement expired during the Covid-19 pandemic. A revised proposal submitted to the Planning Commission increases the project cost by Tk360.10 crore to Tk816.19 crore and proposes extending the project timeline by three years, until June 2028.
