100-Bed Modern Hospital in Debidwar to Open After 5-Year Delay, Built at a Cost of BDT 25 Crore

Debidwar, Cumilla (Special Correspondent Md. Al-Amin):

After a five-year delay, a modern 100-bed mother, child, and diabetes hospital built at a cost of nearly BDT 25 crore is set to open in Debidwar, Cumilla.

At 11 a.m. yesterday, following a special prayer and milad organized by the governing board of the 'Jalal Uddin Foundation Mother, Child, and Diabetes Hospital', officials announced that the hospital would officially begin operations in September.

Constructed as the largest and most modern 100-bed hospital in Cumilla under a joint initiative of the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Jalal Uddin Foundation, the hospital was built at a cost of BDT 24.54 crore.

According to sources, the 'Jalal Uddin Foundation Mother, Child, and Diabetes Hospital' was co-funded, with the Ministry of Social Welfare providing 80% and the Jalal Uddin Foundation contributing 20%. The foundation stone for the six-story, 9,000-square-foot facility was laid on July 1, 2017, in Barera village of Debidwar municipality. The project was initially scheduled for completion by June 30, 2020. However, citing complications with the procurement of the building's elevator, the project's deadline was extended twice, first until June 2022 and then to June 2024. The latest initiative aims to launch the hospital by this September.

Locals attribute the prolonged delay to contractor irregularities, corruption, and the negligence of the Jalal Uddin Foundation's trustee board, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. After the three extensions, the foundation is now trying to turn things around by forming a new six-member governing body.

Hospital officials revealed that due to the delay, furniture and medical equipment worth millions of takas purchased five years ago have become damaged or expired. They also stated that without serving a single patient or generating any income, the Jalal Uddin Foundation has been paying a monthly electricity bill of BDT 49,600 and incurring significant expenses on security guards and other overhead costs. Before the official inauguration in September, an estimated BDT 1 crore will be needed to purchase new equipment and furniture to replace the damaged and expired items.

An official, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the project's contracting firm, P.C. & M.S.C. (JV), owned by Haji Md. Kefayet Ullah, was supposed to purchase a Japanese Hitachi brand elevator for BDT 1.30 crore. However, the firm allegedly supplied a fake Hitachi elevator for only BDT 70 lakh, which was discovered by officials from the Ministry of Social Welfare. An investigation into this irregularity caused the hospital's opening to be postponed. The elevator work was finally completed two years later, and the building was handed over.

Additionally, a faction within the foundation is accused of extorting over BDT 1 crore from local residents by promising them jobs. The job seekers who paid money have even held human-chain protests to demand their money back.

A.K.M. Shafiqul Alam Kamal, President of the Jalal Uddin Foundation's governing committee, stated that various issues, including the elevator, have been resolved. The hospital will be officially launched in September. He added that the hospital will provide primary healthcare and nursing services, offer low-cost treatment for diabetic patients, and work to reduce maternal and child mortality. The hospital will also provide free treatment to 30% of poor and helpless patients. Regarding the job scandal, he said, "Those who paid money for jobs did not inform anyone on our board."

Barun Kumar Das, the Debidwar Social Services Officer, said that since the government financed 80% of the hospital's construction, 30% of its services are reserved for the poor and helpless. He clarified that hiring and salary matters are handled by the foundation and that there is no scope for government appointments or payments.