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will vertically expand its existing hospital building, Block-C, by constructing the 4th to 9th floors. The first three floors of the building were completed in 2014 under a Tk 1,425 crore project.

“This project will increase facilities for the treatment of more children in our hospital. It is a very crucial step to expand our services,” Prof Mirza Md Ziaul Islam, director of the hospital, told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said expansion of the hospital building had long been due, as the previous project was completed in 2014. Besides, the number of patients has continued to rise, he added.

“Given the demand, we actually need 2,000 beds,” he said.

Once completed, the hospital’s bed capacity will rise from 681 to 787 with the addition of 106 new beds, including six cabins. The number of intensive care unit beds will increase from 68 to 75, while operating theatres will go up from six to 11.

According to the hospital’s annual report, 3.43 lakh patients received treatment at its outpatient department last year, while 42,625 patients were admitted during the same period. The hospital also carried out surgeries on 6,786 patients last year.

Health ministry officials said the expansion was aimed at improving access to specialised healthcare for children by strengthening the hospital’s infrastructure and treatment facilities.

The project will also help introduce three new paediatric surgical departments: paediatric urology and kidney transplantation, paediatric surgical oncology, and paediatric orthopaedic surgery. Modern medical equipment will also be procured under the project.

With these additions, the hospital will have 38 departments, up from the existing 35.

Officials expect the hospital’s outpatient department to serve around 1,500 patients daily after the project is completed, up from the current average of 1,200 patients a day.

According to project documents, around Tk 253 crore, or 73 percent of the total allocation, will be spent on modern medical equipment. Another Tk 63 crore has been earmarked for construction work and supporting infrastructure.

The project was initially scheduled to be implemented from January 2026 to December 2027. It will now be implemented between July 2026 and June 2028, according to the documents.

The expansion aligns with the government’s 2026 election manifesto commitment to ensuring comprehensive healthcare services for mothers and children, a health ministry official said.

In March 1972, Prof Tofayel Ahmed, with support from several voluntary organisations and the government, founded the country’s first children’s hospital, Dhaka Shishu Hospital, according to the hospital website.

The number of beds increased gradually over the years.

In 2021, parliament passed the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital Act, renaming the hospital as Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute and making it a government statutory body.

The Ecnec yesterday approved eight development projects, including this one, with an estimated cost of Tk 2,266.41 crore, reports BSS.

Of the total project cost, Tk 2,229.13 crore will come from the government’s own resources, while the remaining Tk 37.28 crore will come from the implementing agencies’ own funds.

Among the approved projects, three are new, three are revised, and two have received tenure extensions.