Patients at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) are facing severe sanitation problems, overcrowding and complaints over the availability of medicines and healthcare services.
A visit to several wards, including the medicine, gynaecology and paediatric departments, found dirty water overflowing from toilets, piles of waste and leftover food, and a persistent foul smell.
In the male medicine ward, wastewater from a toilet had reportedly spread across the floor and reached areas where patients were staying. Patients and their attendants were seen covering their noses while moving through the ward.
Rahman, who came from Bhurungamari in Kurigram with his father, said they had been staying in the ward for three days without a bed and were forced to sleep on the floor.
“The foul-smelling wastewater from the toilet has reached our sleeping area. We are somehow managing to stay here,” he said.
He also alleged that the toilet door latch was broken, making it difficult to use the facility. According to him, around 150 patients in the ward have access to only one toilet.
Mamina Begum, from Saidpur in Nilphamari, said her husband was admitted to a paying bed, but they were also facing problems caused by wastewater and poor sanitation around the toilet.
“How can anyone stay in such an environment?” she questioned.
She also alleged that doctors often visit only once or twice a day and that patients are frequently asked to undergo diagnostic tests outside the hospital.
Another patient, Mamtaz Mia of Badarganj in Rangpur, alleged that patients have to purchase most medicines from outside.
“Except for a few tablets, we have to buy almost everything from outside,” he said.
The hospital has an official capacity of 1,000 beds, but hospital staff said more than 2,500 patients stay there on an average day.
As a result, many patients are being treated on floors, in corridors and on verandas, further worsening sanitation and putting additional pressure on hospital facilities.
Nurses and attendants said the excessive patient load has contributed to the problems, while patients and their relatives complained about inadequate cleaning and maintenance.
Several toilets in different wards were reportedly found in poor condition. Leftover food and other waste were also seen around toilet areas, contributing to the foul smell.
Patients and attendants also complained about stray dogs roaming freely inside the hospital building.
They said dogs could be seen on different floors, raising concerns about hygiene and patient safety.
Patients also alleged that essential medicines are often unavailable at the hospital and that they are forced to buy them from outside pharmacies.
Some patients further alleged that a broker syndicate operates inside the hospital and claimed that unscrupulous employees are involved in the network.
They called for stronger monitoring and surprise inspections by senior authorities to ensure that the actual condition of the hospital is properly assessed.
When contacted, Rangpur Medical College Hospital Director Brigadier General Ashikur Rahman said he had been informed about the allegations regarding sanitation, overflowing wastewater, toilet facilities, overcrowding and the availability of medicines.
He assured that the issues would be taken seriously and that steps would be taken to address them.
The hospital, one of the major public healthcare facilities in northern Bangladesh, is under significant pressure due to the large number of patients it serves.
Patients and their relatives are now calling for urgent measures to improve sanitation, repair toilets, ensure adequate supplies of medicines and strengthen overall hospital management.
