Joynal Abedin Khan :
The burn injured patients of Jatrabari bus arson admitted to the Burn Unit of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) are now facing serious trouble due to lack of beds, physicians and necessary equipments.
At present, about 550 burn patients are under ongoing treatment in the Burn Unit which is about seven times higher of its actual capacity. Usually, the Burn Unit can provide service to the highest 80 persons, said Prof Dr Md Sazzad Khondokar of the Burn Unit of DMCH.
The hospital also runs with insufficient doctors and necessary equipments, the doctor said.
It was the first time in the country’s history where about 29 persons were injured in a single incident of bomb attack on the bus of Glory Parbahan in the city’s Jatrabari on Friday night.
Earlier, highest 18 people received burn injures in a petrol bomb attack on a bus of Shikhor Paribahan at Shahbagh on November 30 of 2013. DMCH Burnt Unit’s Advisor Professor Dr Samanta Laal Sen told the New Nation on Saturday, “Out of total 29 burn injured patients, the condition of ten are highly critical. However, we are giving treatment to 90 burnt patients now. Most of their respiratory systems have been affected seriously.”
The hospital authorities are trying to provide proper treatment for arson victims despite limed facilities, the Prof Samanta said.
“At least 90 patients received around 70% burn injuries who are now receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the DMCH,” he said.
Quoting the doctors and victims, DMCH Police Outpost In-Charge and Sub-Inspector (SI) Mozammel Haque said that two teenagers, aged about 14 to 15 years, hurled the petrol bombs at the running bus at Jatrabari and escaped the scene.
The critically injured people at Jatbari were identified as Joynal Abedin, Istiaq Mohammad Babar, Salahuddin Polash, Nazmul Hossain, Md Sharif, Md Rashed, Shahida Akter, Yasir Arafat, Salauddin, Osman Goni, Md Hridoy, Mohammad Khokon, Md Momen, Md Haris, Taqbir Islam, Afroza Akter and Noor Alam.
Meanhile, the DMCH authorities have enforced restriction on the entrance of visitors to the burn unit to prevent infections in arson, Dr Samanta Lal Sen.
“Defying an already existing restriction on visitors, many people are rushing to the unit everyday to see the victims,” he said. Considering the sufferings of the burn victims, the authorities re-imposed the restriction so that visitors cannot rush to the unit, he added.
Earlier, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim when visited Burn Unit yesterday directed the authorities to impose restriction on the visitors. The announcement came a day after at least 29 people suffered burns as two petrol bombs attacks inside a bus at the capital’s Jatrabari in one of the worst arson attacks on public transport, the doctor said.
