More than 50% of the major medical equipment have remained unused in the different public hospitals, reveals a world bank survey.
Iffat Mahmud, a World Bank official revealed the survey report at a view-exchange meeting.
Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, health secretary, state health minister, and director general of health services were present at the meeting.
The view-exchange meeting was held at the CIRDAP auditorium, Dhaka yesterday.
Iffat said the survey was administered on Health and Nutrition Population Sector Programme of the health ministry (2006-2011) .
During the period the health ministry bought major medical equipment, instrument, furniture and minor equipment and accessories at a cost of $111 million through Central Medicine Store Depot.
According to the survey report, only 44% of the equipment was properly used and 10% was installed. 80% are lying idle in the stores of different health institutes while 14% was found in the hospital ledger.
Iffat said a team of Netherlands ran the survey in 50 hospitals in Dhaka, Khulna and Sylhet divisions with the help of the health ministry.
They looked into the procurement process of medical equipment.
According to the survey report there is no trained engineer for highly medical equipment. Most of the engineers do not have enough budget for repair of air-condition and refrigerator. They have even no vehicles to use.
The survey team suggested that the government should open a medical technology department under the health ministry, form a national policy for health care technology management and regulation for using medical device.
As a chief guest of the programme, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim urged the civil surgeon to be more responsible to ensure quality service to the patients.
He said: “You are the leader of a district, so the failure and success of health sector mostly depend on you.”
He said he would do as much as he could to meet their demand.
The civil surgeons told the meeting about their problems such as delay in promotion, scarcity of vehicles, manpower crisis an inadequate budget.
They demanded a coordinator in the health ministry and health directorate to whom they can put forward their complaints and seek solution.