Partial patient admission begins at Kushtia Medical College Hospital, emergency dept yet to open

After a long wait, Kushtia Medical College Hospital has officially started admitting patients, although the emergency department will not be open yet. 

The hospital began partial admissions through its medicine and paediatrics departments. 

The inauguration ceremony was held at 11am today, led by Dr Mohammad Rizwanur Rahman, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services. 

However, the hospital authorities have not given a clear timeline for when other departments and diagnostic equipment will start operating. 

At first, the medicine and paediatrics departments will admit up to 45 patients each. 

Admissions will be open every day until 2:30pm, according to hospital officials. 

Local residents have expressed frustration, saying that although the hospital has been planned for years, it still does not offer full services. 

They have demanded that the hospital become fully operational as soon as possible. 

Sources at the medical college said Kushtia Medical College started academic activities in 2011 at a temporary campus in Kushtia city, and the main campus became active in early April 2022. 

The campus includes a six-storey academic building, two four-storey hostels, and dormitories for staff and faculty. However, the hospital has not been functioning, so medical students have had to attend clinical classes at Kushtia General Hospital, about 3km away. 

Students have been commuting using two rented buses. At present, around 350 students are enrolled at the campus. 

Protests took place in July last year and February this year, demanding that the medical college hospital be fully operational. 

Students and interns said they are facing problems due to the lack of a functioning hospital. In response, hospital director Dr Anwarul Kabir gave written assurance that the medicine and paediatrics departments would start within 20 days. 

Currently, the hospital has 68 doctors, including specialists, and 39 nurses. Among them, 19 were hired by the hospital, while 20 came from Kushtia General Hospital and the Civil Surgeon's office. Additionally, 36 Ansar personnel have been appointed for security, along with other staff. 

On Sunday afternoon, a 33-year-old woman named Rowshan Ara from Bakhai village in Kumarkhali was admitted to the medicine department. Patients were also admitted to the paediatrics ward. 

A total of 19 patients were admitted to the medicine ward and 22 to the paediatrics ward. The hospital has confirmed that only these two wards are active at the moment. The medicine and paediatrics departments can each admit up to 45 patients. 

Hospital sources said the emergency department would not be operational for now. Patients must be referred from Kushtia General Hospital or get emergency permission from the hospital's outpatient department or a private healthcare provider. 

Oxygen, some medicines, and necessary tests are available for admitted patients. 

Officials at Kushtia General Hospital said any patients referred from the medicine and paediatrics departments will be sent to Kushtia Medical College Hospital. 

The Public Works Department said the Kushtia Medical College and Hospital construction project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) with an initial budget of Tk275 crore in the 2012-13 fiscal year. 

Construction began on 20 acres of land in Kalishangkarpur Mouza in Kushtia city. Over time, 52 contractors worked on 53 packages. The project was supposed to finish by December 2016, but delays due to irregularities and corruption stopped work until 2018. 

The deadline was extended twice, and the project finally finished in December 2023, with the cost rising to Tk682 crore – Tk407 crore more than the original budget. 

Sources said the Kushtia Medical College Hospital includes a seven-storey building with 500 beds, 88 cabins, a 23-bed CCU, a 20-bed ICU, and 130 more beds for emergency services. 

In June 2022, medical equipment worth over Tk90 crore was bought for the hospital, including advanced MRI machines, CT scanners, X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, and surgical tools. But the equipment is still unused and sitting inside the hospital building. 

The Anti-Corruption Commission is now investigating allegations of irregularities in the procurement process.