A major shortage of doctors, medical staff and life-saving equipment has crippled the services at Comilla Medical College Hospital, making healthcare extremely difficult to avail, if not impossible, for hundreds of people living in 17 upazilas within the district.
Sources said 79 positions are currently vacant at the hospital, and 34 of them are of doctors.
The hospital provides medical services to 1,000-1,200 people, on a daily basis, coming from Comilla, Chandpur and Brahmanbaria for treatment at low cost.
The 500-bed hospital currently has 629 staff members, whereas it needs 709 to smoothly run its operation.
Of the 79 vacancies, 34 are in Grade I positions (doctors), 31 in Grade II (nursing), 2 in Grade II (non-medical), 7 in Garde III, and 5 in Grade IV.
During a recent visit to Comilla Medical College Hospital, this correspondent found many patients leaving the premises, frustrated at the poor condition of the hospital.
There are four neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) at the hospital, but all of them are out of commission.
In addition, two out of the three warmers – used to care for prematurely born babies – are broken, and the hospital authorities are struggling to provide care to newborns with only two phototherapy machines at the Paediatric Department.
Shahnaz Begum, in-charge of the neonatal unit at the Paediatric Department, said: “We are facing severe difficulty with providing necessary treatment to premature babies, babies with low birth weight, and babies with respiratory problems with only two warmers and two phototherapy units.”
The only elevator available at the emergency unit of the hospital has been out of order for a long time due to lack of maintenance.
Raihan Akhand, a patient who came to the hospital from Brahmanbaria, said: “This is rather unfortunate that this hospital does not have the necessary equipment to treat critical patients.”
A number of people who came to the hospital with patients complained about the water in the hospital, saying it was contaminated and dirty.
Dr Mohammad Azizul Hossain, chief of Paediatric Department, said seven or eight children are born in the hospital every day on average.
He said the number of patients with cold-related diseases has increased in winter.
"We are struggling to provide healthcare services to the children due to lack of necessary machines. We are trying to bring necessary machineries," he added.
When contacted, Dr Amin Ahmed Khan, director of Comilla Medical College Hospital, said: "We are trying to resolve the issues soon. We have also taken an initiative to set up an intensive care unit (ICU) as well.”
