SYLHET, Mar 07: Medicare service at Derai Upazila Health Complex in Sunamganj has been being hampered thanks to a severe shortage of staff for a long time.
Thought the hospital was upgraded to a 50-bed facility from a 31-bed one eight years, 70 posts of its medical and non-medical staff are still lying vacant, hampering smooth healthcare service.
No new post has been created in the government facility as it is being run in the old building of the 31-bed hospital. At present only 103 officers and employees are at work against 173 sanctioned posts, sources said.
The then Health Minister Mohammad Nasim and Surnjit Sengupta MP formally inaugurated the upazila health complex on October 29, 2016.
The authorities then assured the inhabitants of the vast haor upazila of providing them with better health services.
But no major change has taken place there as yet while no new post has been created in the last one decade and no specialist doctor has been posted.
The X-ray machine here has also been lying inoperative for the last two decades.
The electric generator has also been lying out of order for a long time inconveniencing surgical operations much to the suffering of the patients, doctors and other staff members.
The authorities seemingly have no concern about the prevailing acute shortage of medial officers, nurses, cleaners, ward boy etc.
The severe crisis of beds also often forces the patients to take seats on the floor.
A number of locals like Habibur Rahman of Derai pourashava alleged that the poor inhabitants of the haor upazila are deprived of necessary medicare service due to negligence of the hospital authorities.
Normally about 300 people visit the hospital for treatment while about 150 women undergo normal delivery process per month.
Although 15 cesarean sections are to be done every month, the hospital authorities have kept the service suspended amid the absence of gynecologist and anesthetist.
On the other hand, 70 posts of medical and dental technologist, statistician, radiologist, pharmacist, cashier, junior mechanic, driver, office help, security guard etc. have long been lying vacant.
A large number of patients come here for treatment but many of them return home frustrated failing to get required medical service.
A few of them who can afford try to get treatment at the private-owned hospitals or diagnostic centres. Had the hospital been upgraded to a 50-bed one in reality, it should have had the capacity to serve the poor, said trader Anwar Hossain, who resides in the upazila headquarters.
Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Yasin Arafat said the higher authorities have been informed about the prevailing situation. In writing, they were also requested for repairing the X-ray machine as well as for appointment of physicians and other staff against the vacant posts.
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