C'nawabganj Sadar Hospital

Patients suffer as docs don't live in quarters

11 May 2009, 18:00 PM

Rabiul Hasan, C'nawabganj

Quarters built for consultants of C'nawabganj Sadar Hospital have remained vacant since their construction five years ago as the physicians prefer staying at rented houses allegedly to do private practice.Photo: STAR

The Tk 2.5 crore residential quarters built in the compound of Chapainawabganj Adhunik Sadar Hospital are lying unused for years. Doctors and other staff do not live there, for which patients are deprived of treatment in time of emergency. Hospital sources said, in 2004, the 50-bed hospital was upgraded to a 100-bed one. The residential buildings were constructed the same year and handed over to the civil surgeon on February 25. Two of the residential buildings were built for senior consultants, four for junior consultants, one for medical officers, three quarters for nurses, one for second-class employees, four units for third class employees and four for fourth-class employees. Although nurses, second, third and fourth class staffs are now living in their allotted buildings, no doctor or consultant resided in their flats from the very beginning. At this, the government is losing a large amount of revenue which could be earned through renting out the vacant buildings. On the other hand, the patients coming from remote villages of five upazilas are not getting proper treatment in time of emergency, locals and patients alleged. Sources said, there are at least five consultants working in the hospital, but all of them are living in rented houses in the town allegedly to make extra bucks through private practices. The Civil Surgeon directed them many times to live in the hospital quarters but they did not pay heed to it for which the quarters are still lying vacant, they said. Contacted, Civil Surgeon Rezaul Karim said surgery and gynaecology consultants have been transferred recently. "I am trying my best to bring the other consultants to their quarters. As long as they stay outside the hospital compound people will continue to suffer for lack of proper medical service," he said.