After Losing His Father, Young Man Noyon Holds Eight-Day Sit-In Demanding an ICU at Bhola Hospital

Young man Noyon Khan was seen sitting with a placard at the entrance of the new building of the 250-bed Bhola General Hospital on Wednesday noon. His placard read: a full ICU (intensive care unit) and CCU must be launched to ensure treatment for the people of the island district of Bhola. Three other young men sat beside him in support of the demand.

Noyon Khan, a resident of the Western Para area of Bhola municipality, said that on the night of 26 October he took his sick father to the 250-bed Bhola General Hospital. He believes his father could not be saved because the necessary advanced treatment and ICU facilities were not available.

Since 28 October, he has been standing alone in front of the hospital with a placard every day around noon, sometimes for half an hour and sometimes for an hour, demanding that the closed ICU be opened. He said he will continue the sit-in until a full ICU and CCU are launched at the hospital.

Noyon Khan said, 'Even after holding this sit-in for eight days, the authorities have still not come to me. No one has even asked why I am holding this programme.'

Mechanical engineer Mahfuzur Rahman, content creator and freelancer Prince Ayub, and Md Tanzil Sharif, a first-year HSC student at Naziu Rahman College, have stood beside Noyon in solidarity with his demand. All of them come from different areas of Bhola.

Mahfuzur Rahman said, 'Noyon's demand is not his alone. It is the demand of the people of Bhola. That is why, after seeing a post on social media, I came from Dhaka to Bhola and stood beside Noyon in solidarity.'

Mobashwir Ullah Chowdhury, president of the Bhola district chapter of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJAN), said ICU beds were installed at Bhola General Hospital five years ago, but they have not been launched because of a manpower shortage.

Md Arafatur Rahman, resident medical officer of Bhola General Hospital, said that because the ICU service is not running, seriously ill patients have to be sent to Barishal and Dhaka. The same happens for complicated dengue, heart disease and stroke patients.

Meanwhile, Dr Taybur Rahman, superintendent (acting) of the 250-bed Bhola General Hospital, has been made an officer on special duty (OSD) and attached to the Directorate General of Health Services at Mohakhali in Dhaka. The decision was announced on Tuesday (3 November) through an order of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued by order of the President.