Highlights
- 33 children died between March 11 and March 22 while waiting for ICU beds at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
- Only 12 dedicated paediatric ICU beds are currently available in the hospital.
- Many children were placed on waiting lists but died before their turn came.
- Doctors and hospital authorities say more ICU beds and government approval are urgently needed.
Two-and-a-half-year-old Nusaiyba was admitted to the hospital after being seriously injured in a road accident. Doctors recommended ICU care, and she was placed at number 22 on the waiting list. However, she died on March 12 before her turn came. Shockingly, four days later hospital staff called her family to inform them that an ICU bed had become available.
33 Deaths in Just 11 Days
Hospital sources said that between March 11 and March 22, a total of 33 children died while waiting for ICU admission. As of Wednesday morning, 38 more children were still on the waiting list for ICU beds. Another child, Nahid, died on March 13, three days after doctors advised that he needed ICU care. His father said he tried repeatedly to arrange a bed but failed. In another case, a mother whose child was number 37 on the waiting list said through tears:
“এত জায়গা থেকে তদবির করালাম, তবু আমার বাচ্চাকে আইসিইউ বেড দিলেন না, বেড পেলে বাচ্চাটা বাঁচত।”
Translation: “I tried to arrange help from everywhere, but my child was not given an ICU bed. If he had gotten one, he would have survived.”
Doctors Believe Many Lives Could Have Been Saved
ICU in-charge Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal said that many of the children might have survived if ICU care had been available. He also mentioned that families often call and blame hospital staff after losing their children, which has become emotionally difficult for the medical team.
Only One Government Paediatric ICU in Three Divisions
The Rajshahi hospital currently has the only dedicated government paediatric ICU serving Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions. Because of this, patients from even distant districts—including Dhaka division—come here seeking ICU care.
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Lack of ICU Beds a Nationwide Problem
According to government health data, Bangladesh has just over a thousand ICU beds in public hospitals across the country. Many critically ill patients cannot get ICU care due to shortages, lack of staff, and broken equipment. Even major hospitals such as Dhaka Medical College Hospital face similar pressure, with far more ICU requests than available beds.
New ICU Complex Still Not Approved
A 60-bed ICU complex has already been built at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, including 20 beds specifically for children. However, the facility is not fully operational because it has not yet received official government approval or sufficient staff and equipment. Hospital Director PKM Masud Ul Islam said the ICU currently operating is being run entirely through the hospital’s own arrangements without formal government staffing.
Children’s Hospital Building Also Unused
A separate 200-bed children’s hospital in Rajshahi, which includes a 10-bed pediatric ICU, was completed in 2023. But the building has still not been handed over and lacks approved staffing, leaving the facility unused while critically ill children continue to die. ICU in-charge Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal said the infrastructure is already in place and that the crisis could be solved with proper government management and approval.
The deaths of 33 children in just 11 days highlight a severe crisis in Bangladesh’s healthcare system, where lack of ICU beds, staffing, and administrative approval continues to cost young lives. Despite existing infrastructure, delays in government action have left many critical care facilities unused, worsening the situation.
Source: Prothom Alo
