People of Subarnachar upazila are deprived of proper health care services as the Subarnachar Upazila Health Complex is beset with problems such as the unavailability of doctors and medicine, unclean premises, broken down equipments, interrupted power supply and shortage of hospital staff.
Dr Rahim, Acting Residential Medical Officer (RMO), acknowledged many problems of the health complex and added that the newly built building has not been inaugurated yet. The post of Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer (UHFPO) has been vacant for the past 2 years. Only 12 doctors are appointed against 29 posts, and among them 9 are in service while 3 serve in deputation, he informed.
The RMO also said there were only 3 nurses appointed against 15 posts, one sweeper against 5 posts and 1 night guard against 2 posts. The X-Ray machine is out of order, and ultra-sonogram and ECG Machines were not installed. The operation theatre is unusable and there is no generator in the hospital. An Emergency Obstetrics Care (EOC) unit is badly needed too, he added.
Many complained that duty doctors practice at nearby private clinics and when they are at the hospital they remain occupied by the medical representatives most of the time.
This reporter found that an assistant community medical officer named Abu Sufian was admitting and giving treatment to the patients in the Emergency Unit. The doctors supposed to be on duty sign on admission papers later, said the assistant to this reporter.
Jalal Uddin, a patient from Char Jubilee village said, “I came to this hospital for the first time. I did not get proper treatment and the bed sheets are dirty. I am also disappointed with the doctors, as even four days after being admitted, I could not see one.”
Saheda Khatun, 68, from Char Wapda village said, “We have to buy medicines from pharmacies outside the hospital. Where would we get money to buy medicine? We know government hospitals provide medicine free of cost, but we do not get much of them here.”
According to the sources some dishonest employees of the health complex sell government medicines in the market after showing them to be prescribed to fake patients in the registrar.
When contacted, Civil Surgeon of Noakhali Md Delowar Hossain said: “Services at the health complex will be improved by inaugurating the new building and by recruiting nurses and other staffs.” He confirmed the recruitment of 10 doctors in the vacant posts and assured that the Health Ministry would be informed about the lack of instruments in the hospital.
When asked about the doctors’ private practices, the civil surgeon said, “I have no information about it, and actions will be taken if those accusations are found true.” The civil surgeon also said necessary steps would be taken to prevent the reselling of the hospital’s medicines outside the hospital.
