The poor condition of Bangladesh’s public hospitals has long been a source of public concern. Yet, the announcement of a visit by the prime minister can prompt a swift transformation, with cleaning and renovation work carried out within days. Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka offered a glimpse of this contrast on Thursday, ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit.
On Saturday, the prime minister visited the hospital and 12 other medical facilities, including the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute. During the visits, he spoke with officials and patients and inspected cleanliness, service quality and overall management.
At the children’s hospital, he reportedly found Associate Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam smoking in his office, which was also found to be unclean. The prime minister immediately instructed the hospital chairman to take action against the physician. Dr Rafiqul Islam was subsequently placed under temporary suspension.
At Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, cleaning and renovation work had been underway since Thursday. Workers were washing floors, plastering and painting walls, laying tiles and repairing toilets in the outpatient and emergency departments.
The hospital’s outpatient department treats around 3,500 patients daily, while the emergency department handles approximately 1,500. The patient load far exceeds the facility’s capacity, leaving doctors, interns and nurses struggling to maintain services.
The flurry of activity, however, comes against a backdrop of chronic overcrowding, staff shortages and inadequate facilities that continue to undermine patient care.
Hospital authorities said nearly 5,000 dengue patients received treatment between July and September, with seven deaths recorded during the period. Dental services remain limited despite the presence of a dental unit, while a shortage of anaesthesiologists has disrupted services in neurosurgery, orthopaedics, paediatric surgery and ear, nose and throat (ENT) care.
The lack of adequate sanitation facilities is particularly striking. The outpatient department has 10 toilets for around 3,500 patients a day, while the emergency department has five for approximately 1,500 patients. Some toilets are unusable and remain locked, while a foul stench hangs around the facilities.
Repairs to several toilets were also underway ahead of the prime minister’s visit.
Asked about the inspection, hospital Director Dr Mirza Golam Sarwar told Dhaka Tribune on Saturday afternoon that the prime minister had inspected the outpatient and emergency departments, checked on admitted patients and visited the kitchen, toilets and other areas. He also spoke with patients.
When asked about the ongoing cleaning and renovation work, limited dental services and the shortage of anaesthesiologists, the director said preparations for the inspection had placed the hospital administration under considerable pressure.
“We have been losing sleep over the hospital inspection. I am exhausted and cannot comment on anything at the moment,” he said.
Cleaning, plastering and painting underway
During a visit on Thursday, workers were seen cleaning floors, walls and ward fans, repairing toilets and repainting sections of the outpatient and emergency departments. Faulty electrical equipment was also being replaced.
Emergency Department In-charge Dr Md Bin Mizan told Dhaka Tribune that cleaning was a regular activity and was not being carried out solely because of the prime minister’s visit.
He said the outpatient and emergency departments faced an exceptionally heavy patient load and therefore required particular attention.
Inside the emergency department, doctors continued treating patients as workers cleaned beds and wiped down fans. Asked whether the work was causing inconvenience to patients, several interns acknowledged that cleaning was underway but appeared resigned to the situation.
Nearly 144,000 patients treated in nine months
Hospital authorities said the facility provided services to 143,977 patients between January and September this year, including 44,159 patients in the emergency department.
The outpatient department treats around 3,500 patients daily, while the emergency department handles approximately 1,500. Typically, six to eight medical officers, along with interns, work in the emergency department.
Dr Bin Mizan said staff struggled to cope with the enormous patient load.
Dental services limited, anaesthesiologist shortage disrupts care
Although the hospital has a dental unit, shortages of modern equipment, space and personnel prevent it from providing comprehensive services.
Limited ticket availability, long queues and logistical constraints further restrict access to treatment.
Dental physician Syed Faridur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune that the unit continued to provide care despite shortages of space and equipment. He said the hospital lacked adequate modern dental chairs, X-ray facilities and other surgical equipment.
While routine procedures such as scaling, fillings and tooth extractions were available, patients often had to wait for extended periods for root canal treatment, complex orthodontic procedures and major oral and maxillofacial surgeries. The hospital also does not offer dental crown fitting.
Meanwhile, a shortage of anaesthesiologists has affected services in neurosurgery, orthopaedics, paediatric surgery and ENT.
Dr Bin Mizan said five physician posts remained vacant, making it difficult to provide daily services to patients requiring treatment in these specialised departments.
Nearly 5,000 dengue patients treated, seven deaths
Hospital authorities said nearly 5,000 dengue patients received treatment between July and September, with seven deaths recorded during the three-month period.
Dr Bin Mizan said the heavy influx of dengue patients made maintaining cleanliness particularly important. Hospital staff tried to keep the premises clean around the clock, but the workload remained overwhelming.
He added that some patients spat betel juice on the floors and left toilets dirty, making it more difficult for cleaners to maintain hygiene.
One toilet for every 350 outpatients
Hospital cleaners said around 3,500 men and women visited the outpatient department daily, which has 10 toilets. However, some remain locked because they are damaged, reducing the number available for use.
As a result, the department has roughly one toilet for every 350 daily patients. The emergency department has five toilets for approximately 1,500 patients a day.
Salma Begum, a cleaner responsible for maintaining the toilets, told Dhaka Tribune on Thursday that she and her colleagues tried to keep the facilities clean but often struggled to cope with the waste left behind.
She said patients frequently discarded water bottles, tissues, sanitary pads, clothes and other rubbish in the toilets, causing some facilities to become clogged and unusable.
Several toilets were being repaired, she added.
