Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex itself in bad health

PABNA, Jan 18: Proper healthcare service is being hampered at the Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex in the district's Ishwardi upazila due to poor infrastructure and unhealthy environment stemming from lack of supervision and renovation by the authorities.
A spot visit found that used tissues, saline packets, bandages, cotton, garbage etc littered floors of the wards; spit, saliva, and cough damaged the wall paints; dilapidated windows and doors spurred mosquito infestation, and a foul smell was emanating from the hospital toilet.
Such is the picture of the 50-bed Ishwardi Health Complex in Pabna.
From 2011 to 2018, the hospital won five national awards in emergency maternity care (mother and child) and healthcare. In spite of such a big glory the hospital has achieved, the patients and attendants have so many complaints about its environment and healthcare service.
According to the official sources, 700-800 patients come to the outpatient department of the hospital every day for treatment. Around 200-250 patients receive treatment in the emergency department and 40-50 patients get admitted to the internal department. In this situation, the number of people crowding the hospital every day, including patients and their relatives, is about 1500.
In addition to the seven unions of the upazila, patients from several upazilas of other neighbouring districts also rush to the health complex for emergency treatment.
There are 18 toilets in this hospital. Of these, 10 are in three wards including female, male, and gynecology in the internal department, five in the emergency department, and three in the external department. There are allegations that due to the lack of supervision and renovation by the authorities, the toilets have become places of odour generation. Although there is a provision to clean them twice a day, many times it is not done even once.
A patient named Babar Ali said that the toilet was in a terrible condition. When he goes inside, he feels uneasy due to the stench, and dirty water accumulation. There is not even a bucket to take a bath in.Another patient named Idris Ali said that the bathroom was so dirty that he did not even want to go inside. The condition of the female ward on the second floor of the hospital is similar. Although the toilet has water facilities, it smells very bad inside. A few patients can be seen going in by holding their noses. All five bed sheets in the ward are dirty. In addition, the condition of the three toilets in the cabin is also poor. Dirt gets accumulated in the commode.
A patient in the cabin said that the condition of the toilet was so deplorable that one has to use it after cleaning the dirt by pouring water.
A patient undergoing treatment in the cabin, who did not want to be named, expressed his anger and said, "Looking at such a dirty condition, it seems like this is not a hospital."
Champa Khatun, a patient in the female ward, said, "We feel like we will get sick again in the dirty, smelly environment after coming to the hospital for treatment. The hospital authorities need to look into these issues seriously." Hospital cleaner Shambhu Das said, "I am a single person. I come to the hospital for duty from far away every day. Still, I am trying to keep the hospital clean." Responding to the question of why the award-winning hospital is in this condition, Resident Officer Dr. Kaberi Shah told The Financial Express, "We are trying to provide good service. The bathrooms including three cabins were renovated a few days ago. Even then, I don't understand why the toilets are in such a bad condition."
Dr. Kaberi Shah also said that there was a problem with the cleaner a few days ago. A female cleaner has already been added. Hopefully, this will alleviate the problem to some extent.
However, the hospital authorities as well as the patients and their relatives need to be aware. Because many of them throw dirt, garbage, cough, and spit inside the wards. However, he said that he will soon inform the authorities about the existing problems in the hospital.

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