A large number of necessary medical equipment have remained out-of-order for a long time at different medical facilities across the country, including many important machines at the city’s Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, commonly known as Mitford Hospital.
Since February last year, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine, which has already needed Tk84 lakh worth of repairs on four occasions since it was bought in October 2006, has been out-of-order at the Mitford Hospital. It would need a further Tk66 lakh to be fixed and made operational.
The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that the list of out-of-order machines at the Mitford Hospital also includes machines for X-ray, ultra-sonogram, anesthesia, pediatric laparoscopy, diathermy, dental unit model, dental unit, biochemistry analyser, biochemistry machine, urinary tract infection machine, Exercise Tolerance Test (ETT), hemodialysis, echocardiography with colour doppler.
The list was prepared following a recent health ministry directive that asked hospitals the details of their broken-down machines, how the machines became unusable and how much money would be required for repairs.
Seeking anonymity, several senior officials of the health ministry and the health directorate told the Dhaka Tribune that in its list, the Mitford Hospital had informed that around Tk12 crore was needed to fix the broken down machines.
They added that many more out-of-service medical equipments worth hundreds of crores of taka have been left unused across the country.
When asked, Health Secretary MM Niazuddin told the Dhaka Tribune that data was being collected from all public hospitals and a senior-level committee has been formed to find out the root cause of the improper use of machines. Authorities needed to ensure proper utilisation of the limited resources and machineries, as health costs were increasing each day, he added.
A meeting is scheduled on February 23, where the health minister is likely to sit with all divisional directors and civil surgeons to discuss about the issue.
Dr Rashid-E-Mahbub, president of Health Rights Movement Bangladesh and ex-president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), said the proper use of machines require an pre-purchase assessment of the equipment’s need, necessary infrastructure to set up the machine, and trained manpower to operate the machine.
Influential doctor, leaders, and contractors force departmental heads to comply with their needs, while anyone who protests is transferred, he said.
Asked about the initiative for repairing the machines, Mahbub said it was nothing but a waste of money, as an unscrupulous group was always seeking ways to pocket funds in the name of repairing machines.
A list of out-of-order machines at public hospitals, acquired by the Dhaka Tribune, shows that an X-ray machine has been left unused since March 2003 at the National Mental Health Institute and Hospital, allegedly because the supplier authority failed to set it up. Another X-ray machine has also been left unused at the hospital since November 2007, while an ECG machine that was delivered in December 2003, has gone out of order and required Tk6.5lakh to be repaired.
The list also showed that a broken down X-ray machine at Khagrachhari Adhunik District Sadar Hospital needed Tk2.5 lakh to be fixed; while autoclave machine, incubator machine and operation theatre ceiling lights of the Brahmanbaria District Sadar Hospital needed more than Tk1.55 lakh to be repaired.
Several machines including ultrasound, ECG, bipolar diathermy, autoclave, OT table, anesthesia, air-conditioner and pulse oximeter have been declared defective at Narayanganj General Hospital, according to the list.
The 250-bed general hospital in Jessore declared many of its machines inoperative, including ECG machine, ETT, holter monitor with computer, cardiac monitor, defibrillator cardiac monitor, nebulizer, pulse oximeter, diathermy, incubator, phototherapy, air cooler, refrigerator, ultra sonogram, X-ray, automatic X-ray film processor.
At least Tk7.56 lakh was needed to fix several inoperative machines of Sherpur Sadar Hospital that include anesthesia, OT ceiling light, emergency standby light for OT, autoclave, diathermy, ECG, ultra sonogram, X-ray machine.
The 250-bed general hospital of Tangail needed Tk3.5 lakh to fix broken down machines that included OT table, OT light, air cooler, oxygen meter, steriliser, head light set, refrigerator, drill, laparoscopy, nebulizer, defibrillator, oxygen cylinder and incubator etc.
