Rangpur: The 100-bed Rangpur Shishu Hospital (RSH) with necessary modern facilities is expected to be launched by September, paving the way for providing modern healthcare to children in Rangpur division. Additional Secretary of the Health Ministry's Budget Division Arif Ahmed disclosed the information to local reporters after inspecting the hospital's outdoor and indoor buildings, hospital entrance, oxygen plant, and other facilities today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the additional secretary, after inspecting different sections of the hospital, listened to various crises from health officials concerned, present there to launch the hospital by September. "The process of purchasing necessary equipment and furniture and recruiting manpower is almost at its final stage," said Arif Ahmed. Later, the additional secretary visited Rangpur Medical College Hospital and Rangpur Mother and Child Hospital in the city.
Rangpur Divisional Health Deputy Director Dr Md Wazed Ali, Civil Surgeon Dr Shaheen Sultana, and officials of the Health Department were present at the time. Civil Surgeon office sources mentioned that almost seven years ago, the 100-bed modern RSH was built on 1.78 acres of land in the former Sadar Hospital premises, the heart of Rangpur city. The Health Engineering Department implemented the construction of the three-storey hospital building in the first phase, spending about Taka 31.49 crore in 2019.
The area of each floor of the three-storey main hospital building is 20,882.97 square feet. In addition, a three-storey superintendent's quarter with a four-storey foundation has been built. The 100-bed RSH, the first of its kind in the country's northern region, will have all modern treatment facilities, equipment, and specialist physicians for providing proper health services to babies, infants, and children.
There will be an emergency section, outdoor section, doctors' chambers, and laboratories on the first floor of the main hospital building. The second floor will have operation theaters and a borne unit, and there will be wards and cabins on the third floor of the hospital building where babies and children will instantly get world-standard treatments and health services. Currently, it is quite difficult to provide specialized health services to the huge number of children at the only pediatric department in Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Noted physician of Rangpur, Dr Mofizul Islam Maantu, indicated that the launching of the 100-bed RSH with all modern treatment facilities will pave the opportunity to provide health services and conduct critical surgeries of children at very lower costs. "When the full-fledged RSH programme begins, it will bring relief for the parents as they can ensure treatment of their ailing children staying in the town," he added.