OUR CORRESPONDENT
SYLHET, Oct 19: Only six physicians have to manage the 50-bed Madhabpur Upazila Health Complex in Habiganj district where as 21 posts are sanctioned for the facility.
The X-ray and ECG machines are getting damaged for not using those as there is no technician for long at the overcrowded hospital. Besides, the expectant mothers are being deprived of their required healthcare services due to absence of gynae consultants for long.
Most of the posts of junior consultants on Gynae, Anesthesia, Eye, Orthopedics, Skin, Medicine and ENT etc remain vacant for long, a number of locals alleged.
On the other hand, only three physicians are there to see things on 11 union health centres and 26 community health clinics which are mainly managed by paramedics and other staff.
There is huge pressure of patients always on the hospital, as well as Madhabpur upazila stands on the busy Dhaka-Sylhet Highway. Due to its close location on a central place, the hospital has to serve a good number of inhabitants of the adjacent Lakhai, Nasirnagar and Bijoynagar upazilas.
Besides, due to its location on the busy Dhaka-Sylhet highway the injured victims of frequent road accidents are brought there for emergency treatment.
As the posts of technicians had long been lying vacant the important tests like X-ray, ECG, Ultrasonogram cannot be done at the government hospital.
For mysterious reasons the posts remain vacant for longer periods, making easy scope for the private diagnostic centres' business all together, alleged a number of locals.
The Accountant and cashier of the hospital had long been serving at the Habiganj district hospital on deputation while the posts of five cleaners and one gardener had been lying vacant for long years.
Admitting the acute staff shortage, an official of the health complex said the higher authorities have been informed about the situation, but things remained unchanged till date. The existing staff members have to shoulder much extra duty, but even then it is not possible to manage things that way, he added.
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