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“Until the organogram is approved, it remains unclear who will take charge. If the authorities formally take over the hospital, we can immediately complete the finishing touches. Otherwise, we cannot even release the contractor. We also do not have the manpower to guard the facility.”

Meanwhile, at least 28 children died between March 11 and March 25 this year while waiting for admission to RMCH’s intensive care unit.

“They were advised to receive intensive care but remained waiting due to a shortage of ICU beds,” RMCH spokesperson Dr Shankar K Bishwas told The Daily Star, adding that 30 to 40 more children are currently waiting for ICU support.

RMCH’s paediatric ward also continues to operate far beyond capacity.

Dr Shankar said the department has 200 beds but regularly accommodates between 1,000 and 1,200 patients. The crisis has worsened as measles infections spread among children in the region.

Although an isolation corner has been set up for measles patients at Ward 10 of the paediatric department, space shortages mean not all infected children can be isolated, raising concerns about further transmission. During a visit on Sunday, children with measles were being treated in the isolation corner.

However, Habiba Khatun, mother of a patient named Sinthia, said her daughter has measles but was kept alongside other paediatric patients instead of being placed in isolation.

Regarding the unused facility, Rajshahi Civil Surgeon Dr SIM Raziull Karim said a committee had been formed to oversee the process of making the hospital operational.

Chaired by the RMCH director, the committee sent a letter to the ministry, which instructed the director to shift RMCH’s paediatric department to the children’s hospital. “The progress of that instruction can best be explained by them,” he said.

RMCH spokesperson Dr Shankar, however, said the management of the children’s hospital does not fall under RMCH’s jurisdiction.

He explained that while the RMCH director chaired a committee overseeing infrastructural development, responsibility for manpower and operations does not lie with RMCH.

“Under existing administrative rules, government hospitals at the district level -- except medical college hospitals -- fall under the authority of the civil surgeon. Therefore, the responsibility of this hospital should go to the civil surgeon,” he said.