Staff Reporter:

The Sirajganj Swartha Rakkha Forum on Sunday formed a human chain at the premises of Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College and Hospital in Sirajganj town protesting to the conspiracy of removing the modern Cardia Cath-Lab machine from the hospital.

Doctors, political leaders, local dignitaries and general public, who participated in the human chain also urged the authorities concerned to press home their six-point demand including filling the vacancies.

Speakers at the demonstration alleged that, instead of taking the initiative to start the state-of-the-art cath-lab machine installed at a cost of Tk 20 crore, there is a plan to move it to Dhaka. This machine is used for important medical procedures like angiogram and ring placement for heart patients.

The speakers warned that, any attempt to thwart this initiative to fulfill the long-standing dream of the people of Sirajganj will not be accepted in any way.

They also said that, despite the huge infrastructure, numerous posts at Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College and Hospital have been lying vacant for a long time, as a result of which patients are being deprived of complete medical services.

The five-point demands are:

1. Stop the conspiracy to remove the cath-lab machine,
2. Fill up all the vacancies in the hospital quickly,
3. Hire adequate doctors and manpower,
4. Launch a full-fledged heart and cancer unit and
5. Ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the hospital.
6. Change or replace the name of hospital instead of Shaheed M Monsur Ali.

Mirza Mustafa Zaman said, “The name of Shaheed M Mansur Ali should be changed to another appropriate name like Sirajganj Medical College and Hospital because the Awami League government named it after Mansur Ali to gain political benefits.”

DAB Sirajganj District Branch President and Sirajganj Swartha Rakkha Forum Convener Dr. Abdul Latif, Professor Dr. M Murad, District BNP Organizing Secretary Mirza Mostofa Zaman, Student Affairs Secretary Khorshed Alam Mintu, BNP leader Aslam Uddin, former General Secretary of the Sramik Dal Niyamul Hakim Saju, Dr. Abdul Aziz and Dr. Chumki among others spoke on the occasion.

The demonstrators urged the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to make the hospital a full-fledged service institution to ensure smooth health services to the Sirajganj and its neighboring districts’ dwellers.