Once celebrated as a beacon of quality healthcare in southern Bangladesh, Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital has descended into a dark abyss of exploitation, neglect, and outright criminal activities. The region's premier medical facility is now accused of neglecting its fundamental duty of providing care to the sick.

Heartbreaking accounts depict a disturbing reality of routine mistreatment of patients. Doctors neglecting their duties, indifferent nurses, and opportunistic wardboys, cleaners, and Ansars (security personnel) exploit vulnerable patients, disregarding their basic right to healthcare in the face of greed and apathy.

The anguish of those seeking solace within the hospital knows no bounds. Patients, often arriving from distant villages with diminishing hope, find themselves ensnared in a maze of suffering. Instead of being a place of healing, the hospital has transformed into a breeding ground for misconduct and corruption, rendering its noble "Shebachim" slogan (service) a bitter irony.

The recent death of a patient, allegedly due to a doctor's negligence, serves as a stark testimony to the systemic failure. Adding to the tragedy, the doctor's grandchild, who spoke out against the incident, faced a chilling threat – their life endangered for seeking accountability.

However, the despair extends further. Reports depict a hospital overrun by criminal networks, with simple diagnostic instructions turning into violent turf wars between rival gangs competing for patients' financial resources. Innocent individuals, mere pawns in this distorted game, are directed to questionable private facilities, where inaccurate test results exacerbate their financial hardships.

All of this unfolds under the indifferent gaze of authorities. There is a disturbing lack of action, reform, and a pervasive silence in response to widespread abuse.

Yet, this narrative extends beyond one hospital; it mirrors a healthcare system in urgent need of a comprehensive overhaul. It is a call for action, a plea for those in positions of power to heed the cries of the suffering and restore Barisal Medical College Hospital to its once-prominent status – a sanctuary worthy of its patients, a true refuge for the sick and vulnerable.

The people of Barisal deserve better. They deserve a healthcare system devoid of exploitation and neglect, one that upholds the basic right to health with dignity and compassion. This news article is a passionate appeal for justice, a call for accountability, and a desperate plea for change.

It is time to hold Barisal Medical College Hospital accountable and reclaim the universal right to health for all.