Rajshahi, Apr 29 (V7N) - The non-delivery of a crucial ICU elevator at Rajshahi Medical College (RMC) Hospital, 11 months after the removal of a substandard one, is causing severe hardship for critically ill patients, their families, and doctors.

A modern 40-bed intensive care unit (ICU) was established on the fifth floor of an RMC building. However, despite the tender specifications requiring an 'A' grade fire-protected bed-cum-passenger lift, the contractor allegedly installed a 'C' grade ordinary lift. This substandard lift was subsequently removed due to objections from hospital authorities and Rajshahi Public Works Department-2. Disturbingly, a replacement lift has not been installed even after 11 months, leading to immense suffering for those needing access to the ICU.

In response to this critical situation, Brigadier General FM Shamim Ahmed, Director of Ramech Hospital, sent a letter to the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department on April 21st, urgently requesting the immediate installation of a suitable elevator.

The letter highlighted that the ICU has been fully operational since March 11, 2024, and remains consistently full of patients. While an elevator was initially installed in May of the previous year, it was removed due to its failure to meet tender specifications, a fact jointly identified by hospital authorities and the Rajshahi Public Works Department-2.

Subsequently, it was reported that a new elevator was being manufactured in Japan and was expected to be installed by March 2025. However, this has not materialized, and there is no concrete indication of when the installation will occur.

According to the Public Works Department, the ICU construction project was awarded to Rajshahi-based Brothers Construction for Tk 109.59 crore. An investigation committee report from May 6th of the previous year revealed that the tender specified an 'A' grade fire-protected lift, but a 'C' grade general lift was supplied instead, representing a price difference of approximately half a crore taka.

Following this irregularity, the contractor was compelled to remove the incorrect elevator. However, the replacement has not yet been installed, forcing patients and their caregivers to rely on another elevator for access to the fifth-floor ICU, a process that consumes valuable time. Doctors and nurses also face daily inconvenience due to this lack of a dedicated ICU lift.

Syed Zakir Hossain, proprietor of Brothers Construction, stated, "I am incurring a loss of about 80-90 lakh taka by installing a new lift. The lift has been prepared in Japan, and the manufacturer has also informed the Rajshahi Public Works Department. While they have sent an inspection proposal, the ministry has not yet nominated a representative. Therefore, the lift cannot be brought."

He further added, "I faced issues by installing an elevator without prior inspection before, and I will not repeat that. The matter is currently held up at the ministry level."

Alamgir Hossain, public relations officer at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, claimed ignorance of the matter and suggested contacting the concerned executive engineer for more information.

Abu Hayat Muhammad Shakil Azam, Executive Engineer of Rajshahi Public Works Division-2, reported that the elevator is in the final stages of preparation. The Japanese company has sent an inspection request. If the ministry approves, a representative will inspect the elevator in the first week of May, after which shipment will take approximately one and a half months. However, he also mentioned that if approval is not received, online inspection of the elevators is being considered.

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