The road to recovery for many patients at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital often begins with an unexpected struggle. Not inside the hospital, but right before its entrance. For a facility that serves thousands every day, the immediate surroundings have turned into a challenge of their own, adding distress to those who are already in pain.
The footpaths on both sides of the hospital’s main entry point are almost completely occupied by makeshift and illegal shops. From fruit stalls to small vendors, the encroachment leaves barely any space for pedestrians. Patients and their relatives, many of whom are weak or carrying essentials, are forced to squeeze through narrow gaps or spill onto the main road.
What should have been a safe passageway for people seeking treatment has instead turned into a chaotic marketplace.
Beside the entrance stands a foot overbridge, built to ensure safe crossing in one of the busiest areas. Unfortunately, its escalator has been out of order for months.
Patients and their attendants now climb the steep stairs of the manual side, often with great difficulty.
Relatives carrying fainted or severely ill patients find themselves at real risk, and incidents of people stumbling while rushing up or down the stairs are not uncommon. The bridge, meant to offer relief, has turned into another source of anxiety.
With footpaths blocked and the overbridge difficult to access, many patients and their companions simply choose the road. They dodge speeding vehicles, ignoring the danger in desperation to save time and energy. This practice not only risks accidents but also worsens traffic congestion in front of the hospital.
Cars, rickshaws, and ambulances struggle to move through as pedestrians claim the edges of the road for walking.
For one of the country’s largest government hospitals, this situation undermines both safety and healthcare access. Patients often arrive exhausted and frustrated even before seeing a doctor. Relatives, already stressed about treatment, are further burdened by the ordeal of simply reaching the hospital gates.
Urban planners and health experts point out that solutions are within reach: clearing the footpaths of illegal encroachment, repairing the escalator of the overbridge and ensuring strict traffic management in the area. For a hospital that symbolises hope for so many, ensuring safe and dignified access should be treated as a top priority.
Until then, the struggle before the treatment continues.
