In the northernmost district of Bangladesh, Panchagarh, several hundred thousand residents are being deprived of comprehensive healthcare services due to the non-operation of a 250-bed hospital. According to hospital statistics, a modern 100-bed district hospital was established in Panchagarh in 1962. This hospital has long served as the sole reliable source of advanced medical care for the residents of the district’s five upazilas.
However, the hospital has been plagued with multiple operational challenges. Currently, 19 medical officer positions remain vacant, along with senior consultant positions in gynecology, medicine, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Several junior consultant positions—including gynecology, radiology, ENT, medicine, dental, orthopedics, and physical medicine—as well as the post of residential medical officer, have also remained unfilled for years. Additionally, nine positions in the fourth class and 14 positions in the second and third classes have been vacant for several years.
A nine-story new building intended to upgrade the hospital to a 250-bed facility was handed over up to the eighth floor to the authorities by the contractor in 2023, but the ninth floor has not yet been delivered. Despite being a 100-bed hospital, the outpatient department receives 300–400 male patients, 500–700 female patients, and 350–400 children daily. Among them, 205–300 patients are admitted to the inpatient department each day. Due to bed shortages, hundreds of patients are forced to use floor beds, and many leave without treatment in frustration.
Moreover, the limited 100-bed capacity restricts the allocation of medicines and meals. Consequently, more than 100 admitted patients do not receive government-provided meals, and the shortage of essential drugs affects proper treatment. The lack of 19 medical officers, four senior consultants, and nine junior consultants further hampers the hospital’s ability to serve the vast number of patients.
AKM Fazle Noor Bacchu, a civic activist from Panchagarh, said that the district lacks private hospitals or medical colleges. Patients with complex conditions are often forced to travel 200 km to Rangpur Medical College Hospital or 150 km to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, creating both inconvenience and financial burden. He emphasized that upgrading Panchagarh District Hospital to 250 beds and filling the vacant medical positions is critical and appealed to the government’s health advisors for urgent intervention.
Dr. Masud Hasan, the acting residential medical officer at Panchagarh District Hospital, explained that with the current 100-bed setup, allocations for medicine, patient diet, and other resources remain limited. If the hospital operates fully as a 250-bed facility, staff numbers and medicine allocations would double, and ICU, CCU, CT scan, and other advanced services would expand. This would also resolve the shortage of beds for admitted patients.
Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman, District Civil Surgeon of Panchagarh, noted that according to the 2022 population census, Panchagarh has 1,179,843 residents. Operating a 250-bed hospital would significantly enhance healthcare quality, increase staff and medicine allocations, and allow residents to access all types of medical services locally. However, current staff and equipment shortages have delayed its operation. A formal letter has been sent to the Ministry of Health, and the district administration, along with local political leaders, continues to work toward making the 250-bed hospital fully operational. There is hope that the hospital’s upgraded services will commence very soon.
