• Nearly 2,000 treated at DMCH in past week alone
• Many gunshot victims face permanent disability

TDS Desk:

Amid the turmoil of recent violent clashes sparked by the quota reform movement, hospitals across Dhaka have become inundated with victims.

As healthcare workers struggle to manage the influx, stories of suffering and resilience emerge, painting a grim picture of the human cost of the unrest.

In bed number 26 in ward 101 of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, 15-year-old Oliullah lies writhing in pain.

He was shot in the stomach during a clash in Panchdona, Narsingdi, on July 19 afternoon. A bullet lodged there, he has been suffering for nearly six days. A nasal cannula is inserted in his nose, and multiple bandages cover his body. He cannot speak, only shedding tears from his eyes.

His uncle Md Delwar Hossain said Oliullah’s dressing was being done daily, but the bullet in his stomach could not be removed. Quoting doctors, he said the bullet inside his stomach was entangled with his intestines.

A visit on Thursday to DMCH revealed that people of various ages from different districts, including Dhaka, are receiving treatment after being shot in violence centred on the recent quota reform movement.

Some were shot in the chest, some in the head and others in the eyes or legs. Several patients, like Oliullah, are in ward 101.

Md Abu Hanif, 28, was shot in the chest in Badda on July 19. He was hit by two bullets and has been receiving treatment in bed number 28 in ward 101 since then.

On the same day, after Friday prayers, Md Jewel, 26, was shot in the Jagannath University area. He is being treated in bed 3.

Violence erupted following the demand for quota reform in civil service jobs starting July 15.

Thousands, including children, adolescents, students, young adults, elderly people, women, police officers and journalists, were injured during clashes on July 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21.

Various media outlets reported the deaths of at least 201 people during the conflict and while undergoing treatment.

According to DMCH sources, nearly 2,000 people received treatment there in the past week, with 410 being admitted. Currently, 175 people are undergoing treatment at the hospital, all of whom were shot.

“Sixty people who were victims of the violence were brought to the hospital dead. Additionally, 19 people have died while undergoing treatment in recent days,” Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman, director of DMCH, told this correspondent.

At Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (ShSMCH), around 150 patients injured in the clashes received treatment, with 66 of them being admitted. All admitted patients had gunshot injuries. Currently, 16 patients are undergoing treatment there; half of them were injured by single bullets, while the rest were hit by pellets.

Md Hasan, 17, is receiving treatment at the hospital. He was shot in the upper part of his right arm in the Katasur area of Mohammadpur at around 9:30pm on July 18.

Meanwhile, Md Habib, 30, was shot in Mohammadpur’s Chan Mia Housing area the next day. He is a labourer and was working in the neighbourhood at the time. Habib was hit by 212 pellets in his stomach and back during a clash between the police and protestors. He is currently being treated at the same hospital.

Rafiqul Islam, 23, also receiving treatment there, works in a printing factory in Mirpur. He was shot on his way home after admitting his pregnant wife to a private hospital in Rupnagar on July 19. A bullet entered his stomach from one side and exited from the other.

ShSMCH Director Dr Md Shafiur Rahman said 12 gunshot victims had been brought to the hospital dead, and three more had died while undergoing treatment.

“The situation was dire for a few days, and managing the patients was challenging,” he added.

EYE INJURIES

The National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Agargaon treated 424 patients with eye injuries from various districts, including the capital. Among them, 278 underwent eye surgeries.

Some lost vision in one eye, while others lost both, according to the patients’ relatives.

Md Anik, 24, was admitted with injuries from pellets to both eyes on July 20.

Doctors could not say if he would ever regain his sight. He is currently being treated in ward 415.

On Thursday, the NIOH had eight patients with gunshot injuries to the eyes undergoing treatment. This reporter spoke with five of these patients in ward 415 on the third floor.

Md Suman from Renditola, Madaripur, was admitted with injuries to his head, eyes and other parts of his body from a clash on July 19.

His sister Lipi Akter said doctors had informed her that her brother’s vision in one eye would never return.

Tawhid Uddin was shot during a clash in Narsingdi on July 18 and was hospitalized the following day. He lost his right eye to pellets.

Shihab, who was shot in Mirpur 2 on July 18 afternoon, is also admitted to the NIOH.

He is a second-year student at Dhaka Central Polytechnic Institute and lives with his mother in Mirpur 2. He worked part-time at a restaurant and was shot in his left eye during a clash. He said he could not see with that eye.

“We treated 424 patients from the violence. 278 underwent surgeries. They have been asked to come for follow-up treatments,” said NIOH Director Prof Golam Mostafa.

RISK OF PERMANENT DISABILITY

An analysis of patient registration data at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) found that 1,692 people had received treatment there in the past week.

Of them, 686 were admitted, and 241 were admitted solely for gunshot wounds.

However, there is no specific information on how many received treatment after sustaining injuries in violence linked to the movement.

On-site observations showed that patients admitted to Nitor’s Casualty 2 ward had gunshot wounds to their hands or legs.

Many of the gunshot victims in this ward face the risk of permanent disability. Out of 34 patients, six had a leg amputated. Additionally, seven patients might need hand amputations.

Imran Sarkar, 26, a fourth-year student at Dhaka College, is in the same ward with a gunshot wound to his leg.

He said that he was shot when he was returning home from Friday prayers (July 19) in Rayerbagh. He was admitted to the hospital afterwards and has undergone six surgeries already.

“The primary treatment and surgeries have been done for those injured in the violence and gunshot victims. Multiple surgeries are required for each patient. They are under the observation of the doctors, and the timing of further surgeries will be determined based on the condition of their wounds,” said Nitor Director Dr Kazi Shamim Uzzaman, a professor of orthopaedic surgery.