Hundreds of patients with broken limbs and severe injuries have crowded the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), also known as Pangu Hospital, in Dhaka following the Eid holidays. Over the past six days, 1,894 people received emergency treatment for various accidents, averaging one patient every four and a half minutes. Among them, 697 were admitted, while 239 were injured by cattle during sacrifice activities and 195 were hurt in motorcycle crashes.
Hospital officials said the emergency ward and other units are operating beyond capacity, with many patients lying on the floor due to a shortage of beds. Doctors and staff are struggling to manage the influx. The hospital’s director, Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kenan, reported that more than 400 operations were performed during the Eid period, with 24 doctors on duty per shift.
Officials noted that reckless driving on relatively empty roads, unskilled driving, and risky travel during holidays are major causes of the surge in road accidents. Most of the injured are young and often the sole earners in their families, prompting calls for greater caution among motorcyclists.