Tangail, August 9 (V7N) — The absence of functioning intensive care units (ICUs) at two key government hospitals in Tangail — Tangail Medical College Hospital and the 250-bed General Hospital — has left approximately 40 lakh district residents without essential critical care services.
 
Despite the General Hospital possessing a dedicated ICU space, services remain suspended due to severe staffing shortages. Similarly, although ICU infrastructure has never been established at the Medical College Hospital, administrators cite limited personnel and facility constraints as the primary barriers.
 
Sources indicate that since the COVID-19 pandemic, a 10-bed ICU was briefly operational on the General Hospital’s second floor. However, following a reduction in emergency needs, operations ceased, leaving critically ill patients without local access to vital care. As a result, many must be transferred to Dhaka, often at great financial and health risk; numerous patients have reportedly died en route.
 
Tangail General Hospital currently admits over 300 patients daily, yet only around 46 of its sanctioned positions for doctors, nurses, paramedics, and support staff are filled. According to hospital officials, staffing gaps include:
 
1 critical care specialist, 1 medical officer, 3 nurses, 2 medical technologists, 3 ward boys, 2 ayas, 4 cleaning staff
 
These roles are vital to operating an ICU and the hospital has already submitted requisitions to the Directorate General of Health Services, awaiting necessary approvals and funding.
 
At Tangail Medical College Hospital, rising patient loads — with around 200 inpatient admissions and nearly 1,000 outpatient visits daily — have outpaced capacity. On average, 12 critically unwell patients are sent to Dhaka each day due to lack of intensive care support. The hospital’s director, Dr. Abdul Kuddus, emphasized that establishing an ICU is a pressing need to improve access to lifesaving treatment.
 
Local authorities and civil society leaders, including district president of Sujan (Citizens for Good Governance) Advocate Khan Mohammad Khaled, condemned the situation as "deeply regrettable." With over 40 lakh people residing across 12 upazilas, he called for immediate action: “When emergencies strike, it’s unconscionable that patients are referred to Dhaka without local ICU access,” he said.
 
Patient transport coordinators also report frequent and costly trips by ambulance to Dhaka hospitals. Asad Mia, secretary-general of the Tangail Ambulance Owners Association, noted that 7 to 8 ambulances depart daily with patients bound for advanced care institutions such as Dhaka Medical College, National Heart Foundation, the National Institute of Neurosciences, and the Pangu Hospital.
 
In the absence of local ICU facilities, residents suffer longer transport delays, elevated costs, and higher mortality risks. Health officials have underscored the urgency of activating ICU services in both Tangail hospitals to guarantee timely care and uphold patient safety.
 
END/BKC/SMA/