More than 1.5 lakh people in Madhyanagar of Sunamganj are deprived of quality healthcare services due to lack of a healthcare centre and qualified doctors in the area.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, many people said 43 years have been passed of the country’s independence, the successive governments have failed to provide treatment facilities for the poor people of 147 villages under four union parishads in the remote area.
Akram Hossain, former chairman of Dakshin Bongshikunda Union Parishad, said: “We face a lot of sufferings for medical treatment as there is no healthcare facilities in the area.”
“We need to go to Kolmakanda and Dharmapasha Upazila Health Complexes, which are far away from the locality, for any kinds of treatment.”
The Awami League led government during its first tenure had assured of constructing a hospital in the area. But no hospital has been constructed till today, Manik Mia, a resident of Madhyanagar village. While addressing a farmers’ rally at Taherpur in 2010, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured of building a hospital. But her assurance has not been materialised till today, he said.
Children and pregnant women face unbearable miseries due lack of treatment facilities in the area, Paritosh Sarkar, a resident of the same village.
In several cases, patients died before taking them to hospitals which are located far away from the locality, said Biplob Sarkar of Dakshinura village.
Although, there are two union healthcare centres at the Uttar Bangshikunda and Ramdigha villages, people have never availed treatment from any doctor at the cnetres till today, he said.
For any physical problem, they need to go either to the Kalmakanda Upazila Health Complex or to the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, he added.
Engineer Moazzem Hossain, a lawmaker for Sunamganj 1 constituency, said they had submitted an application to the authorities concerned seeking establishment a hospital when the AL government came to the power in 1996.
Following the application, a project for constructing the hospital was approved in 1998. The tender for the project was scheduled to be floated in 2002. But it was canceled in 2004, he said.
Meanwhile, the then caretaker government in 2007 initiated the process for constructing the hospital. Some manpower were also recruited for the project, he said. The lawmaker said the government has enlisted the hosptial project in the fifth five year plan.
“We hope to begin the construction of the hospital in the current fiscal,” Moazzem Hossain said.
