Dhaka Shishu Hospital in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka

Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital is the largest children's hospital in Bangladesh. It is a Government supported the tertiary level public hospital for children with 640 beds.

A few months after the liberation of Bangladesh, in March 1972, Dhaka Shishu (Children) hospital, the only children's hospital in the country was established. With the help of a few voluntary organizations and the Government of Bangladesh, it first started its services in a private house at Dhanmondi, Dhaka with 50 indoor beds. The outpatient department (OPD) of the hospital started in a tent in the nearby area of Sukrabad, Dhaka at the same time. Consistent financial support was received initially from the “Save the Children Fund. UK” and later on from “World Vision, Bangladesh”.

December 1974 National Economic Council (NEC) of Bangladesh chaired by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, approved a scheme to construct a 250-bed children's hospital expandable to 650 beds. Subsequently, in March 1975, with the approval of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, the site of the project was transferred to the present location at Sher-e-Barigla Nagar, Shyamoli, Dhaka.

Dhaka Shishu Hospital started functioning on this premise in June 1977. The construction costs were funded by government grants and the DSH trust fund which was gathered from donations, two public lotteries, and concerts. A committee formed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh supervised the construction project. Among others, the Late Prof. Tofayel Ahmed, the Founder and Member Secretary of the Management Board of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, was a member of the construction committee.

On 17th January 2012, Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of a new 9-storied building of the Hospital. At the same time she also inaugurated the Paediatric Cardiac Center with Cardiac Surgery, Cath-lab, & Cardiac ICU facilities which is the first office kind for children in the country.

BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH (BICH)

BICH, the academic wing of Dhaka Shish Hospital was established in 1983 to conduct various pediatric postgraduate courses such as FCPS, MD, MS, and DCH along with Diploma in Paediatric Nursing and Bsc Health Technology, etc. The institute is affiliated with the University of Dhaka, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University(BSMMU), and the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS). The Institute has academic and research links with the Institute of Child Health, London, UK, Institute of Child Health, Edinburgh, UK, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.

DEPARTMENTS

Dhaka Shishu Hospital comprises five major divisions e.g. Paediatric Medicine, Paediatric Surgey& Anaesthesia, and the Diagnostic Division. Paediatric Medicine consists of Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Child Development & Child Psychology, Neonatology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Haematology-oncology & Thalassemia, Respiratory Medicine, Endocrinology & Metabolic Disorder, Infectious Diseases and Community Paediatrics, General Paediatrics. Pediatric Surgery includes Neonatal Surgery, Urology, Burn & Reconstructive Surgery, Paediatric Orthopaedics,& Traumatology, Surgical Oncology, Laparoscopy, and ENT Surgery. The diagnostic division includes Microbiology, Clinical Pathology, Biochemistry, Radiology & Imaging.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for children, the first of its kind in Bangladesh was established in this hospital in 1992. It has Day Care Centre, Observation & Referral Unit & a well-equipped Physiotherapy Department.

The OPD and the Emergency handle 900-1000 pediatric patients daily. The OPD includes Medicine, Surgery, ENT, Skin, Dentistry, EPI, CDC, Breastfeeding counseling, and various follow-up clinics. Follow-up clinics include Cardiology, Nephrology, Child Development Centre, Neonatology, Growth and Nutrition, TB, and Endocrinology. The hospital has two special centers Thalassaemia Centre and CDC where patients are receiving specialized treatment. Five beds have been reserved in the Infectious Disease and Community Paediatrics Unit for emergency outbreaks e.g. Diarrhoea, Dengue Fever, and Swine Flu.

Since taking over charge the present management board decided to improve the quality of different services for which responsibilities for cleaning, pest control, and security services have been strengthened. Centralized oxygen supply, a computerized accounting system, an automated patient admission system, a centralized announcing system, an audiovisual health education program for attendants and parents at the OPD and audiovisual orientation for nursing staff have been introduced to improve existing services.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE PRESENT MANAGEMENT BOARD

·         Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, Cath-Lab & Cardiac ICU.

·         Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

·         DNA Lab (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department.)

·         Adolescent Paediatrics (Male & Female) Ward.

·         Critical Care Nephrology (Kidney) and Dialysis Ward.

·         High Dependency and Isolation Unit (HD&I Unit).