Ctg Maa-O-Shishu Hospital: From a tiny initiative to a sprawling institution
Last year, 4.42 lakh patients availed the hospital’s outdoor services and 1.93 lakh indoor services
From its humble beginning, Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital has turned into one of the country's largest healthcare centres, often appearing as a lifesaver for the people of greater Chattogram, especially during times of tragedy.
The year 1979 was crucial for Bangladesh. Not only did the United Nations proclaim the year as "International Year of the Child", but it was also a time when the country was ravaged by many child deaths due to diarrhoea, cholera, tetanus, pertussis, tuberculosis, measles and polio.
In the same year, a small initiative was taken by a few doctors, politicians and government officials to treat the poor and street children of the port city.
Now that endeavour has turned into an 850-bed hospital that treats an average of 1,500 outpatients and 650 inpatients on a daily basis.
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Last year, 4.42 lakh patients availed the hospital's outdoor services and 1.93 lakh indoor services.
With 2,000 staff, including 400 doctors, the hospital's budget for the current financial year has exceeded Tk139 crore.
It runs on public and private donations, with around 10,000 life members and 400 donor members. The institution's executive committee is constituted by election from among the life members.
It has a 34-bed CCU, 30-bed ICU, Cardiac Unit, Neonatology, Pediatric ICU, Neurosurgery, Mother-Child Special Unit, Kidney Dialysis Center, and Child Development Center with general care.
The hospital's Executive Committee President, Prof Dr MA Taher Khan, told The Business Standard that doctors' fees are between only Tk100 and Tk400.
"Being a private but not-for-profit enterprise, it is possible to provide medical services at low cost," Taher Khan said.
Making doctors
It is not only medical services that the institution provides. It also plays a role in producing skilled doctors and health workers.
Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Medical College Hospital was established in 2006 with 50 seats.
Currently, 115 students are completing MBBS in each batch. So far more than 1,000 medical students have obtained the degree.
As many as 50 students are admitted every year to the diploma course in the hospital's Nursing Institute, established in 2007, and another 50 to the BSc Honours (Nursing) course in Nursing College, established in 2017.
So far more than 600 trained nurses have graduated from the institution.
A diploma course under the Institute of Child Health has been conducted since 1997. In 2022, an MD (Paediatrics) course was introduced under this institute.
Humble beginnings
On the occasion of the "International Year of the Child" in 1979, Medicine Specialist Dr AFM Yusuf, Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Surgery Department Professor Dr ASM Fazlul Karim and former Deputy Speaker of Parliament LK Siddiqui undertook an initiative to provide medical services for the poor and street children.
On the last day of that year, Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital began its journey in the abandoned two-storied building of the Central Government Employment Hospital in Agrabad, Chattogram.
Five days later, on 5 January 1980, the then Health Minister Professor MA Matin officially inaugurated the hospital.
Paediatrician Dr Anjuman Ara Islam, who was involved from the beginning of the initiative and served as the general secretary of the hospital's executive committee, said that initially doctors sent from CMCH provided free treatment. "Only Tk10 rickshaw fare was given to them."
In 1982, Dr Liaquat Ali was appointed as a permanent physician for the first time, and the number of hospital beds were increased from 10 to 30 in 1987 through a tin house being built on the second floor, Dr Anjuman Ara said.
In 1991 Bangladesh cyclone
Describing the situation during the 1991 cyclone, Dr Anjuman Ara said, "Diarrhea patients increased in number after the cyclone. Against 30 beds, 100 patients were admitted and 30-40 children were treated simultaneously with only six oxygen cylinders."
Domestic and foreign donations started pouring in when images of the dire situation appeared in the international media, she said.
The hospital also received 4.2637 acres of land and a donation of Tk1 crore from the government, she added.
Major initiatives ahead
The construction of a new 13-storey hospital building started in 2014 at a cost of about Tk500 crore. The entire building of about 7 lakh square feet is expected to be completed by this year.
The construction of a 150-bed cancer institute building at a cost of Tk130 crore started in 2021 and will be completed in the middle of next year.
An autism institute and old age home are also being constructed on about 130 acres of land in Raozan upazila in Chattogram.
The introduction of a dental unit is also under process.
"We are working towards a medical village where all medical services will be available under one roof," said Prof Dr MA Taher Khan, president of the hospital's executive committee.
