DIPANKAR ROY, Khulna

The Khulna Divisional Children’s Hospital, built by the government at a cost of around Tk 115 crore to provide specialised treatment for child patients, has remained unused for around two years due to negligence, bureaucratic complications and lack of coordination between government agencies.

According to sources, the Khulna district administration acquired 4.8 acres of land in Krishnanagar area of Batiaghata upazila at Tk 52 crore in 2017 and handed it over to the Public Works Department for the hospital project.

PWD tasked contractor firm Raiti Enterprise with the Tk 26 crore first phase to construct the basement and ground floor, and the Tk 37 crore second phase to construct the second to fifth floors, a kitchen, sub-station, pump house, boundary wall, internal roads, drains and deep tube wells.

Both phases missed the 2023 deadlines, which were extended several times. Construction of the hospital building was finally completed in June 2024.

However, health authorities have yet to take responsibility for the facility and launch its services, citing lack of security without boundary walls and a gate, and the need for land filling.

At present, the hospital building remains largely abandoned and insecure.

Meanwhile, other government-run and private facilities in the district are being overwhelmed with critically ill child patients, especially amid the ongoing measles outbreak.

Khulna Medical College Hospital operates only 48 paediatric beds and 44 SCANU beds, while Khulna General Hospital has merely six beds dedicated to child patients. There is no separate government-run children’s hospital in the division.

KMCH Director Dr Kazi Ainul Islam said the hospital was struggling to cope with more than 200 child patients against its limited facilities.

Khulna Shishu Hospital, a 250-bed privately run specialised facility for paediatric care, has to accommodate far more patients than its capacity, said its superintendent Dr Prodip Debnath.

Officials, however, blamed one another for the delay.

Kamrul Hasan, executive engineer of PWD-1 Khulna, said the original project did not include construction of the boundary walls and gate, or sand filling on adjacent land.

“We have repeatedly asked the civil surgeon’s office to take over the building, but received no response,” he said.

Contacted, Assistant Civil Surgeon Mizanur Rahman said they could not take over the hospital due to the existing lack of security.

Dr Md Mujibur Rahman, acting divisional director of the health department, said PWD had sought an additional Tk 12 crore to complete the remaining work.

“Once these are completed, we will take over the hospital and submit proposals for recruitment and other necessities,” he said.