Thakurgaon's union health centres in crisis

The healthcare system in Thakurgaon's Union Health and Family Welfare Centres is on the verge of collapse due to severe manpower shortages, absence of doctors and nurses and lack of medicines. As a result, the marginalised population, who largely depend on government healthcare, is suffering immensely.
A visit to the Akcha Union Health and Family Welfare Centre in Sadar Upazila reveals an alarming situation: no patients, no health workers, only a building and furniture left to decay. The post of Deputy Assistant Community Medical Officer has remained vacant since October 2024 and there is no Family Welfare Inspector. The Raipur Union Health and Family Welfare Centre reflects a similar state of neglect, where the Deputy Assistant Community Medical Officer retired two years ago but is yet to be replaced.
According to reports, out of 46 centres in the district, more than half of the sanctioned posts are vacant, including those of medical officers, inspectors, security guards, and aides. This manpower shortage, coupled with the fact that these centres have not received medicine supplies for over a year, has rendered them virtually non-functional. Understandably, patients are now turning away from these facilities, marking worsening of the plight of the poor and marginalised.
It is imperative that the authorities urgently address this crisis by filling vacant posts, ensuring adequate medicine supplies and restoring public confidence in these vital institutions. Without urgent intervention, rural healthcare in Thakurgaon will remain paralysed, depriving citizens of their basic right to medical care.
Ashikujaman Syed
syedashikujaman@yahoo.com