Amid the remote, harsh environment of Shyamnagar in Satkhira, a place where locals regularly contend with nature's adversities and previously faced a dearth of quality health care - leaving expectant mothers in constant worry about their unborn children's future - a beacon of hope has now emerged for the local populace.
The Friendship Hospital, designed with modern technology, provides a much-needed healthcare lifeline to the inhabitants of this vast upazila, spanning across 1,968 square kilometres.
Rising from the salty grounds, this architecturally significant institution is a testament to human resilience and ingenuity, serving as a pioneering healthcare oasis in remote Satkhira.
The birth of a dream
In 2013, the first brick of Friendship Hospital was laid in the village of Soalia, heralding the construction of a medical facility that promised to alter the healthcare landscape of Shyamnagar.
The completion of this endeavour in 2018 marked the beginning of a new era of medical services in this remote corner of Bangladesh.
CourtesyRecognition on global stage
Conceived and brought to life under the skilled guidance of celebrated engineer Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury, the hospital quickly became a symbol of minimalist architectural beauty.
The recognition of this structure arrived in 2022 when the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) named the Friendship Hospital as the world's Best New Building.
The British institute declared the Friendship Hospital project -- designed by Urbana, a Bangladeshi architecture firm—as the winner of the RIBA International Prize 2021.
The institute lauded this establishment as a pioneering example of "humanitarian architecture," given its resilience in a climate change-vulnerable location.
Service quality and a healing environment
The accolade of humanitarian architecture is as much about the hospital's service quality as it is about its physical structure.
The entire hospital compound, built with special bricks, is designed to facilitate an integrated service delivery approach.
The Friendship Hospital management believes that fostering a positive mental state can contribute significantly to a patient's speedy recovery.
Hence, an impressive environment prevails throughout the hospital. There is no smell of medicine or incessant commotion, only doctors and nurses serving patients with a smile. Such hospitals are indeed a rarity in the country.
Innovatively safe and hygienic design
The hospital's unique design incorporates a separating lake running through the hospital complex, thereby reducing the risk of infection transmission.
Located in a saline-prone area, the hospital ensures the supply of purified water to its patients through reverse osmosis processes.
Types of medical services
Constructed with the purpose of serving the local communities, the Friendship Hospital operates around the clock, employing a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, and medical assistants.
The hospital houses a tranquil operation theatre, pathology and microbiology labs, digital X-ray machines, ultrasonogram, ECG, among other facilities for diagnostic examinations.
For eye treatment, Friendship Hospital has a slit lamp, refractometer, retinoscope, ophthalmoscope, and a sonomed for biometry.
CourtesyThe hospital also includes specialized dental care and a physiotherapy department equipped with modern apparatus.
The Friendship Hospital takes pride in offering two unique services. The first one is the VIA and colposcopy examinations for the detection of cervical cancer in women. The second service is a pain management centre, which offers treatments using modern PRP techniques at a low cost.
Foreign doctors often visit this hospital to perform operations for various complex diseases. As a result, locals can recover from complex diseases at a relatively low cost.
Furthermore, a caesarean operation is performed for only Tk8,000. Inpatient charges amount to a mere Tk200 per day, and patients can have meals for the entire day at just Tk120, which is less compared to any private hospital.
Experiences of patients
In the remote region of Shyamnagar, this modern hospital is truly a blessing for the locals. Hindered by poor communication systems and poverty, the general public of this extensive district had been deprived of medical treatment for a long time.
Such is the story of Mohsin Gazi from the Banshipur area of the upazila. He had visited various hospitals, hoping to cure his chronic abdominal pain, but to no avail.
Finally, on the advice of an acquaintance, he visited Friendship Hospital, where he was successfully treated within a week.
CourtesyHis faith in the hospital has been so profound that he recently brought his son here for an eye treatment.
He was able to purchase the required medicines from the hospital pharmacy at reasonable prices, as per the doctors' prescriptions.
A remarkable workplace
The Friendship Hospital has not only carved out a niche for itself with its unique healthcare service, but it also stands out as a wonderful place to work.
The satisfaction is apparent among its employees, who hail from various departments such as laboratories, operation theatres, and canteens.
The hospital staff, including those who have previously worked in renowned institutions in Dhaka, speak highly of their experience working in Friendship Hospital, a symbol of hope in the remotest corner of southern Bangladesh.
