Ten new dialysis machines are being installed in Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) to solve the ongoing crisis of dialysis for kidney patients amid their protest against fee hike in their service. The machines will be installed in the hospital in next 15 days. With these, a total of 17 machines will provide uninterrupted dialysis services to poor patients, said CMCH Director Brigadier General Dr Shamim Ahsan. Three machines from Dhaka have already been installed at the hospital on Wednesday. “Earlier we had seven dialysis machines in operation. These new machines have arrived at a time when kidney patients are protesting against the increase in fees at the Dialysis Centre in the hospital under the public-private partnership project,” said CMCH Nephrology Department Head Professor Dr Nurul Huda. According to the CMCH authority, a list of 25 poor kidney patients has been finalised to provide dialysis services and they are being provided the service with the present capacity of the hospital. It will be possible to provide dialysis services to more than 100 poor patients if the 10 new dialysis machines are installed. Kidney patients can get dialysis services at a low cost from the government here. A patient has to pay Tk 20,000 at a time for six months. This dialysis service will be provided at Tk 416 for two sessions per week. Read more: Dialysis fee hike at CMCH: Police sue protesting kidney patients, arrest one The kidney patients and their relatives have been staging demonstrations in front of the dialysis centre of the hospital for the last four days protesting the hike in dialysis fees. A case has been filed against some kidney patients and their relatives on charges of assaulting police and obstructing their work. The protesters said a patient needs dialysis eight times a month and they have to pay Tk 2,795 first two times and Tk 510 for each of the rest. Now the hospital authorities have raised the fee to Tk 2935 and the patients have to pay it four times and Tk 535 for each of the remaining dialysis in a month, they said. Kidney Dialysis Centre was launched at the hospital under the public-private partnership project in 2017 and it is now operating with 32 dialysis machines. According to the agreement with the Ministry of Health, Indian company Sandor will continue its operations at this centre for 10 years. The institution will use government space for this. A patient has to pay about Tk 3000 against kidney dialysis each time. Read more: Patients, relatives stage demonstrations at CMCH protesting hike in dialysis fee

A 48-year-old man has been diagnosed with black fungus at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital on Monday, officials said. Director of Chattogram Medical College and Hospital Brig General SM Humayun Kabir said the patient has been undergoing treatment at the hospital since Friday and a medical board has been formed for him to provide necessary treatment. Read: 2 held over taking vaccine at home in Chattogram This is the second case of black fungus in Chattogram and the first case was reported on July 29. The 60-year-old woman is still undergoing treatment at the hospital. The second patient is a resident of Karnaphuli upazila and he was not infected by Covid-19 as he has taken the two doses of Covid vaccine, said sources at the hospital. However, the patient has been suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma. His family members took him to a doctor when he complained of mouth pain and he was admitted to a private hospital on July 25. Read: Chattogram receives 2.6 lakh jabs ahead of vaccination push On August 6, he was detected with black fungus and admitted to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital. Prof Dr Suzat Pal, head of the medicine department of the hospital, said, “There’s a schedule to conduct surgery on the first patient detected with black fungus on Monday. The second patient also needs a surgery but it depends on the health condition of the patient.” On May 25, the first cases of black fungus in Bangladesh were detected in two Covid-recovered patients at Birdem General Hospital. Read:Covid: 10 more die in Chattogram Black fungus, a rare infection, has a mortality rate of 50% "with some only saved by removing an eye". The fungus affects many areas of the body, including the eyes, nose, face, and even the brain in severe cases. In recent months, India reportedly saw many black fungus cases affecting recovered and recovering Covid-19 patients.

A man was killed allegedly by his rivals over land dispute at Goronkhain Fakira Mosque Bazar in Patiya upazila of Chattogram district on Sunday night. The deceased was identified as Ershad Alam, 36 of the upazila. Rezaul Karim Majumdar, officer-in-charge of Patiya Police Station, said there had been a longstanding enmity between Rahim and Ershad over the ownership of a piece of land. On Sunday, Ershad and his elder brother Mohammad Naser, 50, went to the disputed land as they were preparing to build a house which was supposed to be started from Monday. Read: Man slits throat of step brother over property dispute in Chattogram At one stage, Abdul Alim, Abdul Rahim and Abdul Nur appeared there and attacked them with sharp weapons, leaving Ershad and Naser injured around 8:45 pm. Later, they were taken to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared Ershad dead. On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Action will be taken against the attackers, said police.  

Five people suffered burn injuries in an explosion at a building in Bakolia area of Chattogram district on Saturday night. The victims are Pradeep Das, 52, Madhusadan Datt, 45, Jadu Biswash, 55, Pankaj Dey, 40 and Kishore Kumar Dey, 42. The explosion occurred from an unknown source at the flat of Pradeep Das at Bharapukur Par in the area around 8:45 pm after one person lit a cigarette lighter  in the hous, leaving five people injured, said Mohammad Ruhul Amin, officer-in-charge of Bakolia Police Station. Also read: 4 killed, 35 injured in Armanitola building fire Later, the victims were taken to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital. However, it is still not clear what caused the explosion. Also read: 5 dead in fire at India's Covid vaccine facility Dr. Rafique Uddin, Head of the burn unit of the hospital, said all the victims received 40-75 percent burn injuries.

Nine members of a family sustained burn injuries when a fire broke out at a house following an explosion reportedly from gas pipeline leakage at Uttar Kattoli in Chattogram city early Monday.

A convicted prisoner of a murder case died at Chattogram Central jail on Tuesday.