The 250-bed Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Hospital is riddled with many crises, especially the acute shortage of drinking water, and it has been so since it was established on April 24, 1972.
The hospital has 11 buildings – all two- and three-storey – none of which were connected to government water supply system until 2005. Even after getting the water supply, the hospital staff and patients still have to rely on the pond nearby, but its water is hardly safe.
Sometimes, the pond water gets contaminated with hospital waste; yet, the patients and hospital staff use it for washing and other purposes, sources at the hospital told the Dhaka Tribune.
During the dry season, the crisis escalates as the pond water dries up. To alleviate the water shortage then, five shallow tube-wells have been installed, but the water they pump out contain a heavy amount of iron.
In 2005, the hospital was connected to the government water supply system via Noakhali municipality, and the hospital installed the pipeline and a reservoir. However the supply soon declined and eventually stopped because the water got pumped way by other establishments via electric pumps.
“Despite not getting the supply water, the hospital authorities still have to pay around Tk16 lakh in bill and tax every year,” said Dr ABM Ahsanullah, the hospital superintendent.
Resorted to use the unhygienic pond water, both the patients and the hospital water are very vulnerable to water-borne diseases, the most common of them being diarrhoea.
“Some of us cannot afford to buy drinking water; we have to make do with the pond water and the tube-well water even though the water is barely usable,” said Swapna Begum, 35, from Begumganj, Jonaki Begum, 24, from Sonaimuri upazila, and Deen Mohammad, 45, from Subarnachar upazila, all patients at the hospital.
The Dhaka Tribune contacted Noakhali municipality Secretary Khan Mohammed Farabi in this regard, who said: “We are going to install a special pipeline to supply water to the hospital.”
Nasim Khan, executive engineer at the Public Works Department, assured that the reservoir would be properly washed as well.
Patient admission beyond capacity, business at risk
The hospital has 250 beds, but it admits around 600 patients every day. Those who are not lucky to get a bed have to stay on the floor of the ward rooms and the corridors of the hospital.
“It is difficult to attend so many patients with the resources that we have. The higher authorities provide us with the supplies for 250 patients, but in reality we have 350 more patients who are here for treatment,” said Dr Farid Uddin Chowdhury, resident medical officer at the hospital.
“The hospital staff get embarrassed when they take meals to the patients with bed, and cannot do the same for the patients on the floor,” the doctor told the Dhaka Tribune.
“We also have a shortage of cleaning staff. We have 20 government-employed staff and 20 others outsourced. If the government itself outsourced around 40-50 cleaners, keeping the standard of hygiene would not be as difficult as it is now,” he said.
Amid all these crises, the hospital also faces losing its patients. Seeking anonymity, an on-duty doctor told the Dhaka Tribune that agents of private clinics roam around the hospital to lure away the patients. Some even have connections with some doctors and compel them to refer their patients to the clinics.
Lack of professionalism among the hospital staff is evident as well. Only the female nurses follow the rule of wearing the hospital uniform when on duty.
Asked about this, the hospital superintendent said: “All doctors, nurses and other staff in the hospital must abide by the hospital rules strictly and wear the appropriate uniform.”