B'desh: Injured man dies as multiple hospitals deny treatment amid staff shortage

Dhaka(The Uttam Hindu): With most doctors and nurses in major public hospitals on leave during the Eid vacation, severe medical negligence unfolded in Bangladesh as many patients were deprived of necessary treatment and suffered due to long delays in receiving care, local media reported. According to media reports, the number of patients in the emergency departments at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), also known as Pongu Hospital, saw a surge during the Eid vacation, causing suffering for several patients seeking services.

Speaking to the country's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, on Wednesday, DMCH Director Md Asaduzzaman said around 500 nurses out of 2,500 nurses were on duty during the Eid holidays. He, however, did not mention the number of doctors who worked. Meanwhile, a family alleged that a mob beating victim was denied treatment at many hospitals in the region, leading to his death.

When Riyad Hossain, who sustained severe injuries in an alleged mob beating, was taken to Kurmitola General Hospital by the police, the hospital did not admit him and referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) instead.

DMCH, the country's largest hospital, also did not admit him. Instead, they provided some medication, stating that his condition was stable.

When Riyad's condition deteriorated, police took him to a nearby private hospital, but he was denied admission due to the unavailability of doctors. As his condition worsened, they took him back to Kurmitola General Hospital, but the hospital once again refused to admit him.

Later, Riyad succumbed to his injuries at the hospital's emergency department early Monday. "My husband died because he was not given proper treatment at any hospital," Riyad's wife, Farzana Akter, told The Daily Star.

According to a report of Bangladesh's leading daily, Prothom Alo, the national survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in February 2025 revealed that one in every three persons in the country has experienced negligence, carelessness and mistreatment in government or private hospitals.

This rate is higher in cities than in villages. Around 91 per cent of the people in Bangladesh want the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus to be legally bound to provide primary healthcare to all.