Students at Rajshahi University and Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur are struggling to access adequate medical care due to severe shortages of doctors, equipment, and essential medicines. The Rajshahi University Medical Center, established in 1958, currently operates with only 21 doctors against 36 sanctioned posts, lacking specialists such as gynecologists and pathologists. Students report long waits, limited medicine supplies, and inadequate emergency services. University officials acknowledge the crisis, citing chronic understaffing and administrative delays in recruitment.
At Begum Rokeya University, the medical center remains at a primary level even after 17 years of establishment, with only four doctors and one nurse serving nearly 9,000 people. The center lacks 24-hour service, modern diagnostic tools, and specialist doctors. Students complain of having to seek treatment outside the campus at additional cost. University authorities admit the need for infrastructure expansion and secondary-level medical facilities to meet growing demand.
Both universities have pledged to improve medical services, but immediate action remains uncertain as recruitment and modernization plans are still pending.