C T Online Desk: Ex-administrator of Chittagong City Corporation and vice-president of city Awami League Khorshed Alam Sujan wants allocation in the next budget to transform the Central Skin and Social Health Center (American Hospital) into a specialized and general hospital. On Sunday in front of the American Hospital in a human chain organized by the civic initiative, he strongly demanded the Minister of Health to keep the necessary allocation for the construction of the hospital.
He said that the American Hospital was established in Agrabad in 1956 with the help of the World Health Organization for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases among sailors. The hospital was then under the central government of Pakistan, later after the independence of Bangladesh, the hospital came under the government of Bangladesh. The hospital had two American nurses and a British doctor, hence its name as the American Hospital. Once the hospital had a reputation for treating skin and venereal diseases, the condition of the hospital slowly began to deteriorate due to neglect and mismanagement.
Sujan said, currently the number of patients coming to the hospital from the remote areas of the country is 750 to 800 every day, but there are only 5 doctors. There is no adequate medical care for such a large number of patients. Only free medicines are given in name which in many cases are of no use to the patient. Medicines are often procured from outside and medical services are conducted.
