A shortage of specialised doctors at Joypurhat Mother and Child Care Centre has been disrupting sophisticated medical services for a year, compounding the woes of financially insolvent patients.
A doctor of another hospital has been deputed to dispense primary medical services to mothers every Monday and Thursday but there is no one to perform complex operations on patients.
The 20-bed facility is where more than 600 mothers and 600 children up to five years old used to be treated in a month but now there has been no gynaecologist or anaesthetist for a year, forcing pregnant mothers to go elsewhere for medical services they need.
Gynaecologist Dr Nahida Naznin and anaesthetist Dr Tahmidur Rahman were transferred elsewhere last year and the posts remain vacant since then. Dr Abdul Mannan Mia, anaesthetist of Bogra Sadar Mother and Child Care Centre, and Dr Jahedul Islam, a gynaecologist in Nilphamari, were transferred to Joypurhat Mother and Child Care Centre but they did not join.
Dr Sohana Ashkari Srishti, medical officer of Joypurhat Sadar Upazila Hospital who sees patients at Joypurhat Mother and Child Care Centre every Monday and Thursday, suggests pregnant mothers to be admitted to the sadar upazila hospital if their case involves any complication.
Umme Salma, a woman from Aima Jamalpur village who is in her eighth month of pregnancy, went to the healthcare centre on Monday and was advised to give birth to her child elsewhere.
She told the Dhaka Tribune she was worried about how much it would cost her for the operation in another hospital.
Abdus Salam, a mason hailing from Bamanpur, said he took his wife to the healthcare centre for routine check-ups.
“But for further medical care, I had to take my wife to the sadar upazila hospital because there was no doctor at the healthcare centre.
“But I had to pay a total of Tk7,000 for the whole package that included doctor’s fees, and medicine and cabin costs. It would have cost me nothing if my wife could get the services at the healthcare centre,” he said, explaining the financial burden that low-income people face to get private medical care.
Farida Akhter, who observes family welfare services at Joypurhat Mother and Child Care Centre, said the shortage of specialised physicians had caused the number of patients, especially pregnant mothers, to dip.
“There was a time when we would serve at least 80-90 expectant mothers every day. The facility would look very busy at the time but now the picture is entirely different.
“Because we have no doctors now, patients feel reluctant to depend only on nurses for medical care,” she said.
Dr Abu Nasar Nurul Islam Chowdhury, deputy director of Joypurhat District Family Planning Department, admitted the dearth of doctors at the mother and child care centre was hindering medical services.
“We are trying to fill the vacant positions. The problem will no longer exist once we get new staff,” he added.
