Health service too poor in Bandarban

31 working against 108 govt posts in district, upazila hospitals

22 April 2009, 18:00 PM

Monirul Islam Monu, Bandarban

Acute shortage of doctors and technical staffs is seriously affecting health service in Bandarban hill district. After the present government took over, district health department sent a report on the 'emergency situation' to the higher authorities but no step has been taken yet, said sources at Bandarban civil surgeon's office. Only 31 medical officials are working in the district headquarters and upazila health complexes against 108 government posts, said sources at district health department. Most of the people of remote areas have to depend on quacks, fake baidyas and unskilled pharmacists, said several public representatives of rural areas. “Resident Medical Officer [RMO] is a very important post for a hospital. But the posts of RMO in the district, other than Bandarban Sadar Hospital, have remained vacant for a long time,” said Dr Ching Swe Prue, medical officer of district civil surgeon's office. “In absence of RMOs, regular indoor treatment and administrative works of hospitals and health complexes are seriously hampered,” Dr Ching said. “Under the pressure of the then government, the 50-bed Bandarban Sadar hospital was upgraded to 100-bed hospital in 2005. But extension of facilities as 100-bed hospital were stalled due to bureaucratic tangles during the last four years,” said a government official seeking anonymity. The Sadar hospital has been running without senior consultant for medicine, senior consultant for skin and viral disease, junior consultant for orthopaedics, junior consultant for cardiology and junior consultant for eye and emergency medical officer for a long time. Besides, posts of dental surgeons have remained vacant at Ruma, Roangchhari, Thanchi, Lama, Alikadam and Naikkhonchhari upazila health complexes for long. Against 23 posts of assistant surgeons, there are only two persons -- one at Alikadam Upazila Health Complex and the other at Baisari Union Health centre under Naikkhonchhari upazila. As the posts of blood test technicians in Alikadam, Ruma, Roanchhari and Thanchi upazila hospitals have been vacant for 22 years, diagnosis of malaria and other viral diseases are hampered. “Critically ill people have to be taken to upazila health complex on shoulders. But many have to return without proper treatment due to absence of medical officers,” said Yang Rai Mro, an indigenous inhabitant of Remakri union under Thanchi upazila.