Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the largest healthcare facility in Bangladesh, is struggling under extreme overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. A field visit on June 26, 2026, revealed patients lying on floors, stairways, and even beside toilets due to a lack of beds. In the children’s ward, rooms designed for fewer than 20 patients now hold up to six times that number. Dirty water, garbage, and foul odors fill the wards, while insects infest drawers and basins. Patients and their families endure long waits for tickets, tests, and consultations, often forced to buy medicines outside.

Hospital staff cite shortages of doctors, nurses, and equipment as key challenges. Out of 2,600 beds, more than 5,000 to 7,000 patients are admitted daily, with thousands more seeking outpatient care. One of two MRI machines is broken, and over 100 essential devices are out of order. Patients report harassment by brokers exploiting the crisis. The hospital director acknowledged the severe strain caused by excess patients and limited resources.

The situation has left many poor families feeling helpless, forced to accept substandard conditions as their only option for treatment.