Due to the indifference of those responsible for recovering 100 Bighas of land grabbed from Pabna Mental Hospital, causing uncertainty in the implementation of the world class improvement project of the specialized hospital.
There is no progress in implementing the instructions of the Department of Health to recover the grabbed land. Aware people of Pabna have demanded immediate recovery of land for the implementation of the project.
It is learned that a 500-bed Pabna Mental Hospital was established in 1957 on 133.25 acres of land at Hemayetpur in Pabna Sadar Upazila to ensure health care for the mentally ill. The government has taken a plan to make Pabna Mental Hospital, which has been suffering from various problems for a long time, a world-class hospital as there is no problem in land acquisition due to adequate space.
The Prime Minister's Office has already directed the Ministry of Health to expedite all directions. In October 2020, a team from the Department of Health visited Pabna Mental Hospital and gave some instructions. One of the instructions was to recover 100 Bighas of grabbed land of Pabna Mental Hospital. No progress has been made in implementing the land rescue directive even in six months. Due to the indifference of those responsible, there have been concerns over the implementation of the project.
A source of the hospital said, the total land of Pabna mental hospital is 133.25 acres. Of that, 30 acres have been given to Pabna Medical College Hospital. At present Pabna Mental Hospital is paying revenue for 74 acres of land. Mysteriously, the remaining 29.25 acres of land has been grabbed. The team from the Department of Health that visited the hospital in October 2020 found out this information. The Department of Health directed for speedy recovery of that 29.25 acres (100 Bighas) of grabbed land at the time.
A psychiatrist at Pabna Mental Hospital Md Maqbool Hossain (Pasha) said, at the monthly meeting of the District Development Coordination Committee they sought the cooperation of the district administration to quickly resolve other issues, including the recovery of 29 acres of land for the mental hospital. He highlighted various aspects of the project and said that if the project is implemented, the modern hospital will have all the facilities related to mental patients and mental health services.
There will be a state-of-the-art ward, Patient Rehabilitation Center, Vocational Center, Musical Therapy, Painting Center, Halfway House, Child Psychiatry, Autism Center, Full-time Emergency Department, Amusement Center, Gardening, Swimming, Catering, Cattle Farming, Cattle Farm, , Laundry Plant, Modern Store Building, Modern Administrative Building, Exterior, Vehicle Facilities, Modern Dormitory, Housing Center for Physicians, Nurses, Officers and Staff, Courses for MPhil, SCPS, MD, Playground walkways and various other facilities there.
In this regard, Director of Pabna Mental Hospital Dr Asaduzzaman said, “We are working on the issue of land. The district administration has been contacted and other issues including land rescue will be resolved through concerted efforts.”
Pabna Public Works Department Engineer Abdus Sattar said, "We usually do infrastructural work. We have heard that Pabna Mental Hospital will be developed. However, there is a problem with the land that needs to be resolved quickly.”
Pabna Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Roksana Mita said, “The land of the mental hospital has been recorded under different names. The record needs to be changed and we have started working to that end.”
Pabna Deputy Commissioner Kabir Mahmud said, “A committee has been formed under the coordination of Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Sadar Upazila to recover the 29.25 acres of land of Pabna Mental Hospital. We have informed the hospital authorities that the land has been recorded in the name of other people. The district administration is ready to provide all kinds of assistance in rescuing the land.”
In this regard, Golam Faruk Prince MP, General Secretary of District Awami League said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed to make Pabna Mental Hospital world class and the process is already underway. If anyone is negligent in this regard, action will be taken. Pabna Mental Hospital is a source of pride for the people of Pabna. This hospital will benefit not only the people of Pabna or Bangladesh but also the people of the world. Pabna will be known all over the world.”
