Construction work on 250-bed hospital in Sylhet halts for years

SYLHET, Oct 11: Construction works of a long required 250-bed hospital's boundary walls, lifts, gates, and internal roads in Sylhet city has not been initiated, although the rest of the construction works were completed two years ago.
Moreover, commencing its operations remain uncertain as PWD is yet to hand it over to an authority, who is required to install necessary medical equipments, arrange manpower and logistics to run the hospital.
Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) said the eight-storey hospital building had been built at a cost of Tk 830 million and they said that the remaining works could be completed within a month or two after an authority is fixed.
In the last two years, several letters were sent to the health ministry regarding the fixation of an authority, but no decision came as of yet. Recently, the health ministry formed an eight-member committee to take decisions about the hospital.
Sources claimed the new committee will decide whether the Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet's Civil Surgeon Office, or any other entity will take the responsibility of the newly built hospital and they will also address issues related to manpower, logistics and medical equipments.
The hospital building has its car park on the basement, ticket counters on the ground floor and waiting rooms. The first floor is designated for outdoor, report delivery, and consultants' chamber. The third floor is for diagnostics, whereas the fourth floor is for cardiac and general operation theatre (OT), intensive care units (ICU), coronary care units (CCU) etc. Moreover, the fifth floor is for gynecology, opthalmology, orthopedic and ENT departments and sixth, seventh and eighth floor are for wards, cabins etc. As many as 19 ICU beds, nine CCU beds, and 40 cabins are also at the hospital.
"We can't find anyone to take it over. However, we expect an authority would be set soon," a PWD official said.
An official at the civil surgeon office said, "The petty works like boundary walls, gate, internal roads, etc could be done with additional budget from the authority. Then it could be inaugurated for operation."
Initially, Dr. Nure Alam Shamim, the assistant director at the Sylhet divisional health director's office, was appointed as the hospital's superintendent, according to Dr. Anisur Rahman, the Sylhet divisional health director.
"Besides, the eight-men committee formed by the ministry has been working on the issue," he added.
However, an official wishing to remain anonymous expressed doubts that an organisation would take the responsibility to supervise the hospital. "We have many 250-bed hospitals run by assistant directors of health. Same will be here." He said.
Faruque Mahmud Chowdhury, president, Sylhet district chapter of Sushashoner Jonyo Nagorik (Sujon), said, "The health department had already spent years to decide about its (the hospital's) operation. It (the authority) was supposed to be fixed at the very time of approving the project." He added that everything should be made more clear immediately and the hospital's operation should start soon.
Contractor firm Padma Associates & Engineering started its work for the construction of the hospital in January 2020. The works on a 6.98 acres of land was formally inaugurated in January 2019.
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