Residents and relatives of patients from Hatia upazila in Noakhali staged a sit-in protest on Tuesday, demanding urgent improvements in healthcare services. The programme was held in front of the Civil Surgeon’s Office, focusing on eight specific demands, including the appointment of doctors, increased hospital beds, and essential medical equipment.
Protesters raised slogans criticising the Civil Surgeon’s Office and the Ministry of Health for ongoing mismanagement and neglect, especially in remote areas like Hatia—a remote island home to over 800,000 people.
They highlighted the severe shortage of doctors, with only six physicians currently working at the 50-bed Hatia Upazila Hospital. Due to long-standing neglect, most government health centres in the area remain understaffed. As a result, even minor health complications often force patients to travel to Noakhali town, Chattogram, or Dhaka—journeys that become nearly impossible during bad weather.
There is also no gynaecologist on the island, putting pregnant women at serious risk. Many have died during childbirth due to lack of medical care.
Later, a delegation led by Model Officer Dr Jannatun Naeem assured the protesters that efforts would be made to meet their demands within a month, leading to a temporary suspension of the protest.
