No one knows when Ophthalmology Institute will reopen

Services at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Dhaka's Agargaon remained halted for the fifth straight day today (1 June), leaving patients in distress and unsure when treatment will resume.

This evening, Dr Zane Alam, the acting director of the hospital, told The Business Standard, "I have not been informed when the hospital will reopen. We apologise to the patients who are coming and leaving without treatment.

"There is nothing we can do. The hospital will reopen once the work environment returns to normal. For now, patients are being requested to seek care at nearby eye hospitals."

When asked whether the hospital would reopen before the Eid holidays, he said, "It's still not possible to say."

Meanwhile, patients and experts have called this extended closure unacceptable. They are urging a swift investigation, punishment for those responsible, and immediate reopening of the hospital.

Although the hospital remains closed, eye patients from across the country continue to crowd outside the gate every day.

Shahidul Islam, a relative of a patient who had been waiting months for a surgery slot, said, "We've been waiting for six months, and today we came only to hear the hospital is closed. After all this time, we finally got a date, but we can't receive the treatment. 

"We're helpless with our patient. They're not even saying when the hospital will reopen. We want it to resume services immediately."

A female patient said, "If I have to come every day only to be turned away like this, is this what you call healthcare? Is this what you call a country? This is a mockery of the nation. We're spending hard-earned money to come to the hospital and then returning empty-handed every day."

Another patient waiting at the gate added, "Some of us need laser treatment within two days – if they ask us to come back in ten days, our eyesight could worsen. We've come from across the country. If the government can't resolve a dispute between two groups, then what's the point of this government?"

The 250-bed specialised hospital performs 150–200 surgeries daily and provides services to more than 3,000 patients. Everything has been shut down for the past five days.

Public health expert Dr Lenin Chowdhury told TBS, "The reason behind the closure of the Eye Institute is completely unacceptable. Shutting down a hospital isn't a solution. Keeping it closed for days just avoids the problem instead of facing it. This is a public institution built with taxpayers' money – it shouldn't sit idle. Many people are suffering because of a few responsible individuals."

He further said, "The authorities, especially the health ministry, must resolve this quickly and ensure treatment resumes. The National Institute of Ophthalmology is the highest-level public eye care hospital in the country. It must be reopened immediately. And anyone who has broken the law – no matter who they are – must be brought under legal action. A quick investigation committee should be formed to identify the offenders and hold them accountable."

In a press release issued on Saturday afternoon, the health ministry said full-scale services at the Eye Institute would resume only once a safe and conducive environment for care is re-established.

The unrest began Wednesday morning when a group of the July injured allegedly attacked hospital staff who were protesting for better security, according to hospital sources.