Editorial
Condition of Upazila health complexes deplorable
Fill in the vacant posts first
Dismal condition of local hospitals in delivering services has been brought to light once again by a news item carried in a leading Bengali daily. The health complex in Tahirpur Upazila in Sunamganj district has not had an appointed doctor in three years. The Upazila health and family planning officer, who supervises the administrative affairs, also got transferred out six months ago. What is worse, all the ten posts for medical officers have been vacant since 2009 and there is only one trained nurse against the requirement of ten in a 31-bed health complex.
More alarming is the fact that in the absence of a trained doctor, the ward boy and the night guard are even delivering gynaecological and emergency services, exposing the patients to serious health hazards.
We are appalled by this revelation because thousands of poor village people with little access to healthcare facilities are entirely dependent on the Upazila health complexes. But when it is without a doctor, and that too for three years, it not only deprives people of their right to healthcare but also puts them at risk of being wrongly treated, which can bring about fatal consequences. Under the circumstances, we would expect the health ministry's intervention to make sure that all the vacancies are filled in immediately.
The picture is no better even when the posts are not vacant. Appointed medical officers at Upazila health complexes are reportedly found to have remained absent from their duties. Without any permission from concerned authorities, they rather spend more time in towns and cities where they have ample opportunities for private practice.
In this connection, we recall that the prime minister in her address to the inaugural ceremony of the 19th Bangladesh Medical Convention in March 2011 warned doctors of punitive actions if they were negligent in performing their duties outlying areas. Now we want to see some action.
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