NAOGAON, Sept 05: Acute shortage of necessary manpower including physicians and staff at the Niamatpur Upazila Health Complex has caused serious hindrance to healthcare services to around 0.25 million people of the area.
Local sources said the 31-bed health complex was upgraded to 50-bed with different modern amenities in 2012 with a view to benefit the poor people of the Upazila.
Everyday on an average 250 patients come to the health centre to take medical service while 25 to 30 of them get admitted here for different periods.
But, most of the staff posts including 24 posts of doctors at the health complex have remained vacant for a long time which has badly affected the medical service here.
No major surgery has yet been taken place here from the beginning of the health complex for lack of surgeons.
X-ray and ultrasonography units have also remained inoperative for mechanical errors.
Medicine, minor surgery and gynaecology units are running with untrained manpower in absence of the respective physicians.
Patients expressed their dissatisfactions over current management of the health complex after being deprived of proper treatment.
One Moinul Hossain of Chandannagar union under the Upazila alleged he brought his son to Niamatpur Health Complex with a broken hand. After examination, doctor suggested him to have an X-ray.
'I had to expend more money to get the service from a private clinic as it was not available at the health complex', he added.
Confirming the manpower shortage, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Faisal Nahid said health care service is seriously being impeded here, depriving the poorer section of people in the upazila due to complexity in appointment procedure to the vacant posts.
The inactivity of medical equipment has also gripped health centre for several years. District Civil Surgeon has been informed of all the problems, Nahid added.
Contacted, Civil Surgeon Mominul Haque said according to an announcement from the Health Minister, some 7,000 physicians will be appointed across the country within next two months.
We hope the manpower crisis will be mitigated soon after the appointment and the equipment problems will be solved as well, he added.
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