People build hospital as govt shows indifference

Construction of the Kurigram Diabetic Hospital is nearing completion, much to the expectation of patients in the area. PHOTO: STAR

The district administration allotted the land but showed little interest in setting up the hospital.

Construction of the hospital has been completed at a cost of Tk 40 lakh, mobilised through local contributions. It is going to be opened by the end of next month.

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Diabetic patients in Kurigram have pinned great hopes on the hospital as they will be spared from the trouble of going to Rangpur and Dhaka for treatment after commission of the hospital.

Six doctors and twelve other employees have also been

appointed at the hospital, to be equipped with modern medical equipment and facilities, its authorities told this correspondent.

They said a telemedicine unit will also be installed so that patients can get suggestions from BIRDEM hospital in Dhaka.

There is a diabetic centre in Kurigram but treatment facilities there are very poor and patients have to travel to Ragpur and Dhaka now for treatment.

This prompted some local people to take the initiative to set up a modern diabetic hospital at the district headquarters. They sought cooperation from well to do people. The response was overwhelming and well to do people contributed generously irrespective of party

affiliations.

"A large number of people of Kurigram living in different areas of the responded and contributed to construction of the hospital”, said Maj (rtd) Abdus Salam, secretary general of the 25-member executive committee formed to implement the project.

He said, there are modern diabetic hospitals in all districts except Kurigam, where a large number of people live below the poverty line. They can not go to Rangpur or Dhaka but the government has not taken any initiative to set up a hospital in the district.

Maidul Islam, chairman of the hospital management committee said the local administration however helped a lot in setting up the

hospital.

The district administration donated the government land for the the hospital, he added.

“We have a plan to set up a ten storied building to upgrade it into a 100 bed most modern hospital at a cost of Tk 12 crore", Maidul said.

MA Latif, another member of the executive committee said a fund has been created and deposited with a bank for payment of staff salary.