Lives of Patients Put at Risk in Unplanned Buildings

From busy city streets to narrow alleys in the capital, hospital, clinic, and diagnostic center signboards are everywhere. Yet many of these healthcare facilities operate in buildings that were never designed for medical use. In some cases, several floors of residential buildings are rented out for treatment services; in others, multiple houses are merged and modified to create large hospitals. These establishments often violate the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), exposing patients to serious safety risks without their knowledge.

Recent incidents have reignited concerns about the structural safety of private hospitals, including the deaths of six newborns at Ad-din Medical College Hospital in Moghbazar, Dhaka. Investigations revealed irregular ward setups, inadequate ventilation, and unauthorized construction.

On 28 May, six newborns died one after another in the hospital’s post-operative ward, triggering nationwide debate. A probe by the Directorate General of Health Services found several serious irregularities, including the placement of a post-operative ward in an old building without proper authorization, lack of ventilation, a shut-down central air-conditioning system, and even an unauthorized bakery operating inside the hospital.

Following the incident, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain stated that the hospital building was not suitable for medical operations and had failed to meet basic operational standards.

Rules on paper, not in practice

According to the national building code, a hospital’s main corridor must be at least 2.4 meters wide. Even secondary passages must be at least 1.8 meters. The code also mandates adequate elevators, emergency exits, fire safety systems, and ventilation facilities.

However, visits to various hospitals and clinics in the capital show widespread violations. Narrow staircases, insufficient corridors, poorly lit wards, and unsafe structures have become common features of healthcare facilities.

Modern Diagnostic Center (Johnson Road)

At Modern Diagnostic Center on Johnson Road in Old Dhaka, the second and third floors of a building are used for medical services, while the ground floor houses a hardware store. Patients must climb narrow stairs, as there is no elevator.

Critically ill patients in wheelchairs often have to be carried upstairs by family members. In many cases, transporting patients on stretchers is nearly impossible.

Public relations officer Golam Mostafa said, “We are aware of the issue. Since this is not our own building, we cannot make structural changes ourselves. We have requested the landlord to install a lift.”