Magura 250-bed hospital depicts a grim picture

MAGURA, June16: Magura 250-bed hospital is beset with manifold problems. These include manpower shortage, brokers' menace, bed crisis, lack of ambulance facility, insufficient and substandard diet for the patients.
Magura sadar hospital was ungraded to a 250-bed one from 100- bed in 2017. Construction of extension building for the 250-bed hospital was completed in 2019. But the bed facility for patients remains 100 as the extension building is not used entirely for shortage of manpower.
The hospital is being run with the manpower allotted for a 100- bed one. On an average 300 to 350 patients get admitted into the hospital every day. But as the bed capacity is only 100, about 200 to 250 patients lie on the floor.
Brokers roam around the hospital in guise of patients and motivate the patients to go to particular clinics and diagnostic centres. On an average more than 60 patients are prescribed by doctors in the hospital for X-ray while 50 for ultra sonogram. But not more than 25 patients are X-rayed while ultra sonogram of 20 patients are done in the hospital. Brokers influence the rest patients to go to particular diagnostic centres and clinics for their test exploiting them financially.
Earlier, mobile courts were conducted in the hospital at times to free the hospital from brokers. But the brokers staged a comeback in the absence of mobile courts for a long time.
Admitted patients in the hospital suffer for insufficient and low quality diet. On contact, Nazir Hossen, 40, of village Pulum under Shalikha upazila of Magura said, "I was admitted to the hospital for 4 days . But I did not get diet for a single day".
Jahid Hossen, 55, of village Tarauzial under Sreepur upazila of Magura said, "I got bread and egg as breakfast for only one time during my three-day stay in the hospital."
The hospital is facing shortage of doctors. The posts of dental surgeon, eye consultant, ENT specialist and senior medicine consultant are lying vacant for a long time. Only two medical officers are working in emergency ward of the hospital instead of six medical officers. The pathology department is being run with only two technicians against six posts.
The arrival time for doctors at the hospital is 8am. But no doctor reaches the hospital on time.
Moreover, medical representatives are allowed to visit doctors from I.00pm to 2.30pm only on Saturdays and Tuesdays. But violating rules and regulations representatives visit the doctors everyday at any time. Frequent visit by the representatives causes extreme suffering to the outdoor patients.
An unhealthy environment is causing health hazard in the hospital. The number of cleaners is only 13 in the hospital against the post of 35.
The hospital was provided with two ventilators to set up intensive care unit ( ICU) six months back. But the ICU is yet to be set up. For want of ICU, critical corona patients are being compelled to go to Faridpur and Dhaka for better treatment.
The hospital has three ambulances. But of the three only one ambulance is operative while the rest two are lying inoperative for a long time for want of repair.
Brokers and private ambulance drivers always surround the government ambulance with an ulterior motive to turn away the patients for private ambulance.
When contacted, ambulance driver Md Lavlu said, "The hospital ambulance goes out of order on the way at times. Moreover, the ambulance cannot run more than 50km at a stretch. For this reason, patients hire private ambulance for long journey. I never influence anybody to hire private ambulance."
Residential medical officer of the hospital Bikash Shikder admitted the incident of insufficient diet and said, "We get diet for only 100 patients per day. But more than 300 patients are admitted in the hospital a day. Consequently, we cannot provide every patient with diet."
Superintendent of the hospital Shapan Kundu admitted the menace of brokers in the hospital.
When he was asked about the absence of mobile court he said, "Due to coronavirus pandemic we are facing difficulties to run mobile court." About the standard and insufficient diet he said, "I have failed to improve it even after repeated attempts."

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