Despite having modern equipment to provide top-notch medical service, the 250-bed district hospital in Moulvibazar have been unable to do so due to huge number of vacancies in the posts of physicians and medical staff in the hospital.
Sources said the hospital – which was upgraded to 250-bed from 100-bed in 2012 – currently has 52 posts for physicians, 19 of which have been vacant for a long time. The hospital has not been able to open its intensive care unit as there are no medical experts to run the facility. Due to lack of anaesthetists, not more than six surgeries could be arranged every day at the hospital.
Most of the posts that are vacant are that of consultant physicians in many departments, as well as some posts in the management. The hospital is also short of nursing staff, with 13 posts for male and female nurses still vacant.
Sources at the hospital’s administration said in order to provide proper medical service to patients, a 250-bed hospital needs to have at least 122 physicians. Under the existing system, a 250-bed hospital runs quite similarly as a medical college. So a proposal to add 70 additional physicians to the existing 52 in such a hospital has been filed by 250-bed hospital administrations to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, they said.
There are no specialists at the hospital’s radiology and ultrasound departments, and trained staff from other departments are running these departments. Due to this, the normal function of their own departments are hampered as well.
The dialysis unit is in a standstill as well, but the hospital authorities have taken initiative to run the department, sending a medical officer, seven nurses and two technicians have been sent to Rangpur Medical College to get training on dialysis. Interestingly, there is no post of an urologist in the hospital, even though urologists specialise in kidney-related problems.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Dr Haripada Roy, director of the hospital, the higher authorities had been notified of the situation in Moulvibazar hospital, and more physicians would be appointed soon.
Sources said around 800-1,000 patients come to the hospital’s outdoor every day, while at least 300 patients are in the indoor.