Even after 12 days after the fire broke out in the post-operative store of Khulna Medical College Hospital, the repair work has not started. Operations are closed. As a result, every day hundreds of patients and their relatives spend their days in extreme uncertainty and suffering. Many patients who had long-awaited surgery dates had their operations postponed indefinitely. Doctors say that the physical condition of many patients is deteriorating due to lack of timely surgery.
According to hospital sources, the oxygen line of the operation theater and post-operative unit was damaged in the fire incident. From that day, the hospital's emergency and eye operation theaters were completely closed, besides, the post-operative unit became unusable due to lack of oxygen. As a result, hundreds of unconscious patients are at risk of dying while waiting for surgery.
Read more: Fire at Khulna Medical, controlled by 10 units
A tour of the hospital's surgery, neurosurgery, urology, burn and plastic surgery departments on Monday (June 1) saw hundreds of patients waiting for operations. Every day numerous patients are coming to the hospital for surgery. But as it is not operational, they are being turned away or assured of a new date. Many of these patients come from far-flung districts.
Some of the patients have sold land, some have raised the cost of treatment by taking loans. They have run out of money while lying in a hospital bed or on the balcony. Now many people do not have the money to buy the medicine for the operation.
Shahidul Islam from Satkhira said, “I got the date of the operation two months ago. After coming to the hospital with all the preparations, I found out that the operation will not take place. No one can say when it will happen. The condition of the body is getting worse day by day.”
A ward affected by fire in Khulna Medical College Hospital
Echar Jomaddar (35), who was admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital for a brain tumor operation from Bagerhat's Morelganj a month and a half ago, said, “The operation did not take place but he was referred to Dhaka Medical in a coma.” He said that Tofazzal Jomaddar's father, who is a day laborer, does not even have the fare to take the ambulance to Dhaka, let alone the medical expenses. As a result, what to do – you are depressed.
On the other hand, Sultana Akhter, a patient who was admitted more than a month ago from Rampal for a nerve operation, said, “My husband is also staying at the hospital with a three-year-old child. The date of the operation was scheduled for Wednesday, May 20. The hospital caught fire on that day, and no one can tell when the operation will take place. As a result, I don't know what to do.”
In this way, not only Echar, Jomaddar or Sultana, hundreds of patients are waiting for the operation.
Dr. Khulna Medical College Hospital Department of Anesthesia Department. Dilip Kundu said, “The operation theater is fine, there is not much damage. Only the oxygen pipe is damaged. The line is also taken from outside, not from inside the wall.”
Questioning why it will take so long, three said, “An operation theater is open, but since the post-operative is not open, I am running it with a total of six beds from the ICU as post-operative. This has created a crisis of ICU patients.”
Abu Bakkar Siddiqui, head of surgery department of Khulna Medical College Hospital, said, “We have constantly informed the hospital director that we cannot perform operations. They tell us about public works. We do not understand when we will be able to operate on patients. The condition of many patients is getting worse day by day.”
Director of Khulna Medical College Hospital Dr. Kazi Ainul Islam said, “We have spoken to the Directorate of Public Works. I have still spoken to two executive engineers, and one of them said, after the assessment, the work will start soon.”
Abdul Halim, executive engineer of Khulna Public Works Division-1, said, “The work will start from Tuesday. Our assessment is all over. We hope to complete the work very soon and start the operation theater.”
On May 20, a fire broke out on the third floor of the main building of Khulna Medical College (Khumek) Hospital (in the storeroom adjacent to the operation theatre). At this time, an ICU patient died while moving the patient in haste. Besides, all surgical operations were temporarily suspended as oxygen lines were damaged due to heavy smoke.
