Treatment seekers in Kurigram are undergoing tremendous sufferings as the Kurigram Sadar Hospital has been limping with insufficient staff strength for long.
Hospital sources said posts of medicine specialist and ophthalmologist have been lying vacant at the hospital creating a setback for the locals.
Moreover, no one has been appointed in the posts of resident medical officer, radiologist and hematologist leaving the health centre almost of no use.
Patients are being harassed every now and then as the number of nurse working at the hospital presently is inadequate.
According to sources, about 700 to 1200 patients come to the out-patient section while nearly 250 from different parts of the district are hospitalised everyday.
But most of them go back without any treatment to their utter dissatisfaction.
Some are referred by the hospital authority to Rangpur Medical College Hospital after primary treatment.
Locals complained they had to dig deep into their pocket to avail proper treatment from private clinics in the district.
Those cannot afford costly treatment, stay at the hospital and remain satisfied with what the general physician prescribes.
Md Amzad Hossain, a heart patient, said:“I was told to do a CT scan by the cardiologist of the hospital, but later I came to know it was not the relevant test in my case.”
Eshahak Ali, another patient admitted to the cardiology department, complained: “I have been staying here for three days, but the doctor visited me only once.”
Nazrul Islam, medical officer of Kurigaram Sadar Hospital, said: “Despite willingness, we cannot render sufficient service to the patients due to inadequate manpower at the hospital.”
Jonyal Abedin, civil surgeon of Kurigram, said: “We have forwarded letters to the Ministry of Health several times to do the needful, but no action has been taken yet.”