Civic activists and local volunteers, under the banner of Voice of Cox’s Bazar Volunteers, staged a human chain and sit-in protest on Wednesday. They demanded the permanent operation of ICU and CCU services and the establishment of a kidney dialysis center at the 250-bed Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital.
Held at 10 AM in front of the hospital’s north gate, the demonstration highlighted the chronic shortage of medical staff, malfunctioning equipment, and inadequate infrastructure that plague the only government hospital serving not only 2.9 million residents, but also 1.2 million Rohingya refugees and countless tourists visiting the coastal district.
Though designated as a modern hospital, services at the facility remain poor. Critical units like the ICU and CCU operate sporadically due to the withdrawal of NGO funding, while essential equipment for diagnostics and treatment lies defunct. The ambulance equipped with ICU-CCU support has also fallen into disrepair. Key departments such as ophthalmology, cardiology, and nephrology remain non-functional, and elevators in both the old and new hospital buildings are often out of order.
Speaking at the protest, volunteer leader Zakir Hossain Noyon presided over the event, with Rezaul Karim reciting from the Holy Qur’an and Imran Hossain Nabi anchoring the program.
The speakers issued a strong ultimatum to the government, demanding immediate action to resolve the hospital’s manpower crisis, permanently operate ICU-CCU facilities, and set up a dialysis center. Failing this, they warned of launching a larger protest movement in the days ahead.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report/Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Courtesy
