Rangpur Chest Disease hospital: TB patients left without indoor care

Patient admissions at the only 20-bed Chest Disease Hospital in the Rangpur division have remained suspended since June after the stoppage of dietary supply for inpatients.

With no admissions for months, the hospital has become virtually non-functional, despite being the only specialised government facility for chest disease patients in the region.

Outdoor services continue at the Chest Disease Clinic located on the hospital premises. Doctors said many tuberculosis (TB) patients, particularly those in critical condition, urgently require indoor care, but the suspension of admissions has deprived them of the treatment they need.

Established in 1965 in the Tajhat area of Rangpur city, the hospital operates from a single-storey building with six rooms. It has separate wards for male and female patients, with 16 beds for men and four for women. The other three rooms serve as office space and staff quarters.

According to hospital sources, the facility currently has two medical officers, five nurses, one pharmacist, one ward boy and one moshalsi. The hospital also has a modern X-ray machine, GeneXpert facility and a microscopy lab, but most diagnostic services are underutilised due to the halt in inpatient care.

On Sunday, Abdul Kuddus, 65, and his wife Rowshan Ara Begum, 60, from the Ambari area, arrived seeking admission. Both are suffering from TB and are in a critical state. They were disheartened to learn that inpatient services were suspended. After undergoing necessary tests, they received medicines from the outdoor clinic.

Nurun Nabi, 60, of Chanmari area, said, "I heard patients receive better treatment when admitted. But when I arrived, they said admissions are closed. I had to return with only medicines."

Data from the Chest Disease Hospital and Clinic shows that 1,621 patients received treatment for chest diseases in Rangpur district over the past six months, of whom 828 tested positive for TB.

Senior staff nurse Shamsul Alam said, "There are no patients in the hospital, so we have no work. The patients who used to be admitted here were mostly from marginalised communities."

Medical Officer Dr Mahmudul Hasan said, "Medicine alone is not enough. Regular nutritious food is vital for TB recovery. But the poor cannot afford it. When admitted, they receive nutritious food from the hospital. But due to the suspension of dietary supply, we cannot admit patients."

He said outdoor services continue and free medicines are being provided under the National TB Control Programme (NTP). "Earlier, we always had 6–7 patients admitted. The demand still exists," he added.

Rangpur Civil Surgeon Dr Shahin Sultana said, "Dietary supply has been stopped because there are no admitted patients. TB patients now prefer home-based treatment. However, if inpatient demand rises again, dietary supply will be restored."