Fire in Barishal hospital: Overcrowded old building strains to provide adequate care

A fire at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) has forced hospital authorities to scramble for alternatives. 

The fire broke out on Sunday, prompting the transfer of patients from the affected medicine building to the hospital's older facility. 

However, the older building, already overwhelmed with a high number of patients and existing resource shortages, has been unable to provide the desired level of care for the displaced patients.

Due to the influx of new patients, the hospital administration has been facing severe challenges. Some new patients are being redirected to other government hospitals as space runs out. As of Monday afternoon, a few patients were moved back to the third floor of the fire-damaged medicine building, with plans to accommodate more patients on the fourth floor starting Tuesday, according to hospital authorities.

A six-member investigation committee was formed immediately following Sunday's fire to determine the cause of the incident. 

One concerned relative of a patient, Abdul Motaleb, described the chaotic situation during the evacuation, "We brought our patient here in panic after the fire. Amid the crowd, we managed to transfer them to the old building, but there was no bed available. The patient has been lying on the floor, which has worsened their condition."

Dr Moniruzzaman, acting director of the hospital, acknowledged the difficulty in managing the situation. 

"We have managed to place some of the patients in various wards of the old building, though some had to remain on the floor," he said. 

New patients were sent to general hospitals, he added.