Patients rely on relatives’ shoulders amid lift crisis

Patients who have difficulty walking are being forced to climb stairs. In some cases, relatives are carrying patients in their arms to wards on the fourth or fifth floors. Others are becoming exhausted while waiting in front of elevators. This is now a daily scene at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, the largest healthcare center in the southern region. With nine of its 15 elevators out of service, patients seeking treatment and their relatives are facing additional hardship.

The hospital’s six operational elevators are struggling to handle the pressure of transporting patients, relatives, doctors, nurses and food. People have to wait as long as 15 to 20 minutes in front of an elevator. The situation is further aggravated by a shortage of staff to operate the elevators and allegations of negligence in performing duties. Overall, the elevator management system has sparked widespread dissatisfaction among patients and their relatives.

According to sources, seven of the 10 elevators in the hospital’s main building are out of service. Elevators 7 and 8 near the main entrance have been nonfunctional for a long time.

Several patients were seen lying on the floor in front of the two elevators. As a result, movement in that section has become even more difficult for patients. Elevator 5 nearby is reserved for doctors and nurses, while elevator 6 is being used to transport patients and relatives as well as food and medicine. This has placed additional pressure on just one elevator for general patients.

Elevator 1 near the emergency department entrance is also being used by patients and relatives, as well as for transporting food and facilitating the movement of doctors and nurses. Elevators 2, 3 and 4 beside it have been out of service for a long time. Elevator 9 in front of the medicine ward is also nonfunctional. Elevator 10 beside it has been shut down due to a mechanical fault. The two elevators in the hospital’s outpatient department building are also out of service.

The shortage of personnel to operate the elevators is also severe. At least 45 operators are needed to run 15 elevators across three shifts, but only 13 are currently employed. There are also allegations of negligence among the elevator operators in carrying out their duties. Elevator operator Md. Aman said the elevators had been out of service for a long time due to mechanical faults. As a result, normal movement of patients in both buildings has been disrupted.

Jahangir Hossain, a relative of patient Md. Saiful Islam, who came from Patuakhali for treatment, shared his experience. He said, “When we tried to take the patient to the fourth floor, we first saw a patient lying in front of the elevator. As the elevator was out of service, we went to two other elevators and found those broken as well. Eventually, we managed to take the patient to the fourth floor by climbing the stairs with the help of some hospital staff after paying them.”