Healthcare limps due to lack of doctors

The 250-bed Kushtia General Hospital cannot provide healthcare to the patients due to shortage of doctors and other staff, including technical ones.

There are only 32 doctors working here against 58 posts. They are providing services to 1,200 to 1,500 out-door patients daily, hospital sources said.

The hospital was upgraded to a 250-bed one from 100-bed in 2002, but new doctors and staff have not been appointed till now.

Sources said around 30-40 lakh people of Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadamga and Rajbari districts are dependent on this hospital.

This correspondent visited the hospital on Tuesday and saw around 575 patients admitted there. A large number of outdoor patients were waiting for treatment at the emergency department of the hospital. Only four physicians were providing service whereas at least 12/15 physicians were needed.

"How can 32 doctors ensure appropriate health service for this large number of patients?" Dr. Tapas Kumar Sarkar, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of the hospital, asked.

A doctor has to treat around 150/200 outdoor patients everyday, the RMO said, adding that he also has to treat the patients admitted at the hospital.

"I am number 75 in the serial to see the doctor. I have been in queue since 10:30am, and it might be around 3:30pm when I get to meet him," said Dablu Pramanik of Mahisbathan in Khoksa upazila of the district. Dablu lives 43 kilometres away from the hospital.

The RMO said there is no senior consultant at the eye, children, medicine, surgery, orthopaedic, cardiology, radiology, ENT, anaesthesia, gynaecology, pathology, and skin and sex departments.

Two X-ray machines out of four have not been working for the last four years, and two of three ambulances have been out of order for the last two years, he added.

There are also shortages of Class 3 and Class 4 employees. There are only 25 Class 4 class employees out of required 55, and 33 Class 3 employees of the required 37.

There is also a shortage of technical staff in the laboratories where various tests are carried out.

"We have written to the higher authorities several times about the prevailing crisis at the hospital," said Dr Mustafizur Rahman, Civil surgeon (CS). "They have not responded as yet," he added.