Bangabandhu Medical in Sunamganj promises modern healthcare for haor people

Despite the global recession, the construction of Bangabandhu Medical College Hospital in Sumanganj is progressing at full speed, with 45% of the work already completed.

The entire project aimed at providing modern healthcare to residents of the haor region is expected to be finished by June next year.

People concerned said once its operations begin, the hospital will bring about a revolutionary change in healthcare services in the impoverished areas of Sunamganj.

It may be recalled that during the 2020-21 academic year, the medical college section of the project commenced academic activities with 50 students. The following year, another batch of students was admitted to the medical college. Currently, academic activities are being conducted at the Shantiganj Upazila Health Complex.

Once the construction work on the 35-acre land in the Madanpur area of Sunamganj Sadar Upazila is completed, they will be relocated to the new academic buildings.

It will be the 47th government medical college in the country.

According to sources, the hospital will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including a modern operation theatre equipped with advanced medical equipment. The construction of the medical college is estimated to cost around Tk1,108 crore.

The hospital complex will contain 29 modern buildings, as well as a playground and a pond within its boundaries. The hospital building with 500 beds has nearly been constructed. Only the finishing work of the building is currently in progress.

Along with the hospital building, a nine-storey academic building, which will house all academic activities of the medical college, is also being constructed.

There will be an 8-storey hostel building, a 6-storey intern doctors' building, a 10-story doctors' accommodation building, a 6-story staff nurse dormitory building, and a 6-story staff dormitory building.

The hospital complex will also have an auditorium, nursing college academy, student nurse hostel, morgue and mortuary building, mosque, and residential buildings.

People concerned said Planning Minister MA Mannan, who was State Minister for Finance and Planning at the time, requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to have a medical college and university established in Sunamganj in October 2016. Following a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), the prime minister agreed to the proposal.

Subsequently on 4 November 2018, the prime minister approved a project worth around Tk1,108 crore for the medical college and hospital.

Dr Shamsuddin Ahmed, project director of Bangabandhu Medical College and Hospital, told The Business Standard that everyone involved in the project is working tirelessly day and night to complete the construction work, and approximately 45% of the project has already been completed.

"Although the work on one building has been completed, many buildings are still under construction. We are striving to commence the academic activities of the college in the new building by next June," he added.

Manojit Majumdar, principal of Bangabandhu Medical College, Sunamganj, stated that students have been enrolled in the first and second batches of the college. 

"Currently, exams for the first batch are in progress. Upon completion of the construction of the medical college and hospital, both the residents of the district and the students will benefit," he said.

Md Mobinul Haque, executive engineer of the Public Works Department, said, "Despite the global economic slowdown, the project work is progressing at full speed. The project is scheduled to be completed by June next year, and we hope that the work will be completed within the specified time."