Megaplan for a modern and digital DMCH

The government has formulated a new design to transform Dhaka Medical College Hospital into a state-of-the-art medical facility by constructing 27 new multi-storey buildings and increasing bed numbers to 5,000 to provide better treatment to more people and improve the quality of medical and nursing education.

According to people concerned, the new design would be implemented at an estimated cost of Tk18,000 crore on the current premise of the hospital, keeping all the historical buildings intact. A target has been set to inaugurate the new facilities by 2027.

According to the new design, 27 buildings for hospital, medical college, library, seminar, dormitory will be constructed on the 108.5 bighas of land of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Of these, there will be six hospital buildings each with 17 floors. Other buildings including the residential ones will have 20 floors.

Hospitals, medical colleges, nursing institutes, seminars, doctor's lounges will be interlinked. The hospital will have two emergency wards and two outdoors, as per the design.

The design suggested no vehicle movement on the hospital premise except for ambulances. All the vehicles will be in the basement where a three-storey underground parking space will be made with a capacity for parking 5,000 cars. There will also be an automated car parking facility. The hospital will have several entry points that will be used based on traffic analysis.

Infograph: TBS

The current frontal look of the Dhaka Medical College has been kept intact in the new design and excluding the historic buildings, all the other infrastructures will be demolished to make way for new constructions.

Dhaka Medical College now has more than 60 departments and sub-specialist departments. However, each department will be shifted to new buildings in a way that the medical and educational activities are not hampered.

DMCH sources said a project proposal has already been prepared for the implementation of the mega project as per the feasibility study. It will be sent to the Planning Commission within this year for final approval.

Brigadier General Nazmul Haque, director of Dhaka Medical College, told the Business Standard, "As a 100-year-old building, Dhaka Medical College is an archaeological heritage site. The construction work will continue by preserving the tradition and keeping the daily activities of the hospital running."

He said, "The new buildings would be constructed keeping all the modern and digital facilities. The medical record system would also be modernised. Also, since 80% of our clients are low-income people from remote areas, their comfort would be prioritised."

At present, more than 3,500 patients are admitted daily to the 2,600-bed hospital. However, the additional patients receive treatment by staying on the hospital floor, veranda or side of the stairs.

Nazmul Hoque said, "Dhaka Medical College never sends any patient back without treatment. If we can arrange 5,000 beds then we will be able to provide adequate bed services to the patients who are now admitted in the wards, verandas and stairs. There will be 1,000 floating beds outside for patients who would come for minor surgery or chemotherapy and stay there only for a day."

According to the people concerned, the new design of the entire complex has been made as per the directive of the Prime Minister. Although the DPP proposed to complete the construction work within six years, it has been changed to four years as per the Prime Minister's instructions.

With the expansion of medical services and educational activities in the hospital, the option for practical training for nurses, class-3  employees and doctors will be expanded. Besides, international seminars on health will also be organised regularly, the medical college authorities said.

Nazmul Haque said, "The MBBS, FCPS programmes will continue here and options for PhD research will be added. New departments will also be introduced that will increase the scope of our knowledge. The number of skilled doctors and health workers will increase."

"The flavor of undergraduate and post graduate education will be focused but it will not be a University. It will have its on entity which our honourable PM specified," Nazmul Haque added.

"The tendency of our people to go abroad for better treatment will decrease after the implementation of the new design. Then people will get an improved service at a lower cost," he said further.

The new design of the hospital has been done by Professional Associates Ltd.

Manju Ara Begum, chairman of Professional Associates, told The Business Standard, "DMCH is a historic infrastructure, so, the design has been done keeping the historical part intact. The IT system of the hospital will be fully digitalised. Now, our challenge is to complete the project of upgrading Dhaka Medical College Hospital to a gold standard hospital within the stipulated time."