A harrowing healthcare crisis has unfolded at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), where an acute shortage of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds has led to the deaths of 229 patients in a single month. Most devastatingly, 91 of these fatalities were children who died while languishing on waiting lists for life-saving critical care.
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A System Under Siege
The hospital, originally established in 1958, is currently operating far beyond its intended capacity. While its official bed count was increased to 1,200 in 2013, the facility routinely accommodates upwards of 3,500 patients daily. This overwhelming pressure has reached a breaking point in the ICU department, which currently manages only 40 beds across all specialities.
The surge in mortality follows a spike in measles and pneumonia cases across the region. To combat the outbreak, hospital authorities recently increased the number of paediatric ICU beds from 12 to 18, allocating 12 specifically for measles patients. However, these measures have proven insufficient against the sheer volume of critically ill children arriving from across the Rajshahi division and neighbouring districts.
The Human Toll of the Waiting List
Behind the statistics are grieving families who describe a desperate, futile scramble for medical intervention. One such father, Rifat, a resident of Kushtia, shared the heartbreaking story of his five-month-old daughter. Admitted to Ward 24, she was placed at number 32 on the ICU waiting list. She passed away on the evening of 27 March without ever receiving the intensive care she required.
“I pleaded with so many people, literally begging for a single spot in the ICU,” Rifat recounted through tears. “But there was simply no room for my daughter.”
Similar tragedies are echoed throughout the wards. On 26 March, a nine-month-old infant from Chapainawabganj died while ranked 31st on the list, the same day another child, Humayra, died while holding the 30th position.
March 2026: Critical Care Statistics
The following table illustrates the disparity between ICU capacity and the desperate demand recorded during the month of March:
| Patient Category | Beds Available | Patients Admitted | On Waiting List | Total Deaths |
| Paediatric | 18* | 119 | 386 | 91 |
| Elderly | 16 | 143 | 302 | 70 |
| Adult | 12 | 135 | 312 | 68 |
| Total | 46 | 397 | 1,000 |
Looking Forward
Hospital spokesperson Shankar K. Biswas confirmed that the facility has urgently petitioned the Ministry of Health for the establishment of a dedicated 100-bed ICU unit to prevent further loss of life. While additional oxygen lines are being installed as a temporary reprieve, the gap between the average daily demand for 50 paediatric ICU beds and the current 18 remains a chasm that continues to claim the region’s most vulnerable citizens.