Anyone familiar with Bangladesh’s healthcare system is painfully aware of the fact that unions are rampant in public hospitals. Even after the July uprising, they are as active as ever and trying to defraud the victims of the movement.

For example, on October 27, an emergency room doctor at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital told the attendant: “You only have to pay Tk 2,000 for a CT scan; nothing more, even if you are asked to do so.” He would repeat this at least two more times.

Worse still, the interim government’s “free treatment” of injured victims of the July uprising is not holistic in the face of a chaotic process to determine the number of martyrs and injured victims.

TBS spoke with injury victims, hospital officials, and the interim government at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) and the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospitalization (NIOH). The July Shaheed Smrity Foundation (more commonly known as the July Foundation) and others came together to quantify the cost of public health services in the wake of the unprecedented carnage.

There’s no one left behind

On September 12, the interim government announced a Tk 100 crore fund for injured victims. July Foundation would distribute this fund.

On October 29, Sarjis Alam, coordinator and general secretary of the foundation, shared on Facebook that 245 victims of the July-August mass riot had received financial assistance of more than Tk 2.41 billion by then.

In his speech at the foundation’s Shahbağ office on October 31, he said, “We have reached more than 300 injured families so far.”

According to Sarjis, the verification process is a challenging one. This situation causes delays in fund payments. “Once we have a verified list, we will distribute all funds by the end of November. Also, this is a lifetime verification; we are working to provide lifetime benefits,” he added. The foundation works with hospitals and the ministry of health.

“We have prepared a verified list of more than 30,000 injured and more than 1,600 martyrs in these two months,” Sarjis said, adding: “The list of martyrs published by the interim government (which is around 700) will be updated accordingly after further verification.”

Currently, the 20-member foundation has a six-member dedicated verification team.

“We had five members before, we added one more member. If necessary, we will increase the number to 10,” Sarjis said.

Beneficiaries

In mid-October, the foundation visited Nitor and collected information about injured patients admitted to Ward A. In about a day, almost everyone in the ward was given Tk 1 lakh per person.

Münir was among the few people left empty-handed. “They asked for verification documents. My brother had visited the Shahbagh office twice in October and then on November 4,” he told TBS by phone. “We were told we could get the funding maybe within a week.”

Md Munir Hossain (32-year-old garment worker and resident of Gazipur), who has a family of three, is currently admitted to Nitor for the second time. He was discharged in early September, but returned later in the month with worse, infected legs. He had six surgeries.

Medical expenses, including ambulance fare and food for attendants, were over Rs 1.5 lakh. Donations from private citizens also became a source of savings for these families. “We received more than Rs 1 lakh,” said Munir, the sole breadwinner in the family.

In Nitor’s corner bed in Ward B lay Khorshed Alam.

As we approached, two things became clear at first glance. He speaks in a low voice and has a wound (his right thigh is bandaged).

When looked at closely, its seriousness becomes clear. The bullet exit wound left a deep gash. Pink flesh peeking through the gap in the bandages looked as if someone had filleted Khorshed’s buttocks.

Khorshed, a resident of Manikganj, was discharged from Nitor in mid-August. However, his condition worsened. He first sought help from local hospitals and eventually had to return to Nitor in early September in a worse condition than when he was released.

“When I was first discharged, I didn’t want to leave,” Khorshed said.

“Readmission is taking place. Many of them have minor complications… But we are giving them special care. But (some are being referred) readmission is not taking place due to any major complications,” said Dr Kazi Shamim Uzzaman, director of NITOR.

“There is no critical, life-threatening situation. However, we have chronically disabled patients. We are thinking about these, we need expert opinion, and we are in talks with Thailand and other countries on this issue for better care.” added.

Dr. Kazi Shamim said, “Sometimes patients come from far away. They are fine, but they need physiotherapy. When they ask not to be discharged, we hold them back because we do not want them to suffer. They are honorable people.”

On October 22, NIOH director Prof Dr Khair Ahmed Choudhury said: “We currently have 45 patients admitted here. They do not need any treatment, maybe their vision is impaired or gone completely; we cannot provide vision to everyone… but why are they staying here?”

He continued: “Because they believe that they can convey their demands to the state. Because if they return home, they become individuals. But if they stay here, they can have a collective say. Some patients receive donations and stay here. ‘Maybe if I stay here, I will get something tomorrow.'”

From July 15 to October 22, a total of 468 patients received treatment from Nitor. According to the hospital director, around 61 patients are still being admitted.

Mehedi Alam (26), a day laborer, was shot near the University of Brac campus on July 18. One of his legs was injured below the knee by a bullet. His sister Dalia had been sleeping on the hospital floor for months.

At our fourth meeting on October 1, he hesitated for the first time.

The reconstruction of Mehedi’s left leg was bearing fruit. You could see the regenerating flesh on the left calf. His right leg, which was amputated for a skin transplant and later became infected, was also in the healing phase.

“But you see,” Dalia said on September 30, pointing to her left knee, “this part is hard as a stick, doctors said we need to go to CRP (Rehabilitation Center for Paralyzed People).”

Why do patients need to be sent for CRP? Doesn’t Nitor have rehabilitation facilities?

Nitor’s manager replied, “We have rehabilitation. But if you talk about high-level rehabilitation, it is in CRP. We have referred a few people who need advanced physiotherapy. But we provide them regular physiotherapy from the physiotherapy department.”

On November 4, Mehedi and Dalia were at one of their sisters’ houses, Uttara. “Each ambulance ride costs us minimum Tk 6,000. And for now, we have fortnightly follow-ups at Nitor. Mehedi’s medicine cost is Tk 10,000 per month,” Dalia said.

Mehedi has completed nine surgeries so far.

At Nitor, 16-year-old amputee Morsalin Miah, MD, stayed for weeks before being discharged on October 9. They were then referred to the Brac Limb and Support Center on Babar Road in the capital. Morsalin was admitted there in late October and was receiving treatment.

His mother received money amounting to 1 lakh from July Foundation. “I won’t lie; we have received around 3.5 lakh donations in total so far. I have around Tk 50.00 crore,” he said. Morsalin was working at a hotel in Gazipur before he was shot on August 5.

When they were discharged, they were given Tk 5,000 for ambulance bills and Tk 7,000 for medicine bills from Nitor’s Somaj Seba Fund.

Nitor also has a Patient Welfare Association which operates through various public donations and funding from the Department of Social Services.

Since the massacre, he said, “We have received an overwhelming response. We received around Tk 69 lakh in August-September. People and groups donated money, crutches, etc. People are still donating to our fund (in October). Total number of patients served This project More than 200,” said Roushanara Khatun, NITOR SSO.