The National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, located in Chankharpul, Dhaka, is claimed to be the largest burn and plastic surgery hospital in the world. However, it is now struggling to cope with the increasing number of patients. The institute’s 500 beds remain fully occupied at all times. Sometimes, the facility fails to provide necessary treatment and has to refer patients to the burn units of Dhaka Medical College Hospital or other healthcare institutions.
Incidents of fire in Bangladesh have risen compared to previous years, leading to a growing number of burn patients. Experts say that while some government hospitals in the country have burn units, their treatment facilities are inadequate. As a result, the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery has become the primary treatment center for burn victims. It is the only specialized hospital in the country equipped with comprehensive burn treatment facilities. Patients in critical condition from across the country arrive here daily. The influx of these patients has already exceeded the hospital’s capacity. Experts believe it is essential to enhance the institute’s capacity and improve burn treatment facilities in other healthcare institutions as well.
According to the Health Bulletin 2023, the outpatient department of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery treated 72,152 burn patients last year. Among them, 36,073 were male, and 36,089 were female. Of these patients, 12,912 sought treatment through the emergency department, and 6,065 were admitted for further care. Among the admitted patients, 3,094 were male, and 2,971 were female. All hospital beds remained fully occupied throughout the year.
Doctors report that the number of patients from outside Dhaka is steadily increasing. Due to the lack of adequate burn treatment facilities in local government health institutions, many critically injured patients are brought to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery to save their lives.
Dr. Tanveer Ahmed, Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, told Bonik Barta, “The number of burn patients is increasing day by day. The number of burn patients is particularly high during the winter. We cannot accommodate everyone. In such cases, we are often compelled to refer patients to the burn units of Dhaka Medical College Hospital or other nearby hospitals. I believe if other hospitals improve their burn treatment facilities, it will significantly reduce the pressure on us.”
According to related sources, the institute was inaugurated in April 2016 as the country’s first fully equipped burn treatment facility. It is considered the largest burn institute in the world, with 500 beds. The hospital includes a 22-bed intensive care unit (ICU), a 22-bed high-dependency unit (HDU) for advanced treatment, 12 operation theaters, and a state-of-the-art post-operative ward. The hospital not only treats burn injuries but also provides plastic and reconstructive surgery for conditions such as cleft lip and palate.
Due to the lack of proper burn treatment facilities in districts outside Dhaka, critical time is often lost in transporting patients to this hospital, making it difficult to save lives in many cases. To address this issue, doctors emphasize the need to activate burn units in hospitals outside Dhaka. This would enable burn patients to receive timely and adequate treatment. It would also alleviate pressure on the institute.
Dr. Hasib Rahman, Associate Professor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, told Bonik Barta, “Many patients come from outside Dhaka. This increases the pressure on us. It is crucial to operationalize burn units in hospitals across other districts. This would allow patients in those areas to receive immediate treatment and help reduce the burden on our institute. Moreover, alongside treating burn victims, we also handle other types of patients here, which is why the hospital is consistently under pressure.”
When asked for a broader perspective, the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Professor Dr. Md Abu Zafar, told Bonik Barta, “The National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery is the largest Burn and Plastic Surgery hospital in the world. Currently, there are burn units in 13 hospitals. Additionally, five projects with 100 beds each are underway.”