Shortage of manpower is a very common excuse and often a reality in Bangladesh’s health sector; but the story of 11 anaesthesiologists at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) surpasses them all.
The DMCH Anaesthesia Department has 11 staff members who have to reportedly carry out such jobs every day, which would otherwise be carried out by a workforce that is at least three times larger.
The 22 operation theatres (OTs) at the biggest public healthcare facility in the country conduct around 100-125 surgeries on an average, every day.
The 11 anaesthesiologists by rotation have to take part in at least two-thirds of those surgeries daily, amounting to five to six for each of them.
However, apart from what they are primarily assigned to do, these anaesthesiologists also have to look after the 20-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Coronary Care Unit (CCU).
Established in 1987 as a 5-bed section, the ICU at the DMCH has never in its 26-year history, seen a proper organogram or designated specialist doctor in charge.
Since its inception, the ICU has been running under the supervision of the Anaesthesia Department. None of the department’s members ever been told that they would have to only look after the ICU and not take the load and pressure of surgeries.
The ICU is now a 20-bed unit and the authorities are planning to expand the accommodation to 35-beds, without a plan to declare it as a separate department and without formulating a proper organogram.
“We are facing an acute shortage of anaesthesiologists. On an average, 100-125 surgeries are conducted in the hospital. Moreover, they also have to attend the ICU and CCU. We need at least 47 anaesthesiologists to ensure smooth operations,” Professor Dr Abdur Rahman, head of the Anaesthesia Department of DMCH, told the Dhaka Tribune.
He also said, “Patients and their attendants often allege that the doctors never do the surgeries on time. But the reality is that even if they want to do the surgeries on time, the acute crisis of anaesthesiologists often forces them to cancel appointments.”
Prof Rahman also said, at present they administer the services of diploma and MD doctors who come to the anaesthesia department on study leaves.
“We need separate specialised doctors, nurses and staff for the ICU,” he demanded.
He, however, added that the government had recently approved 11 more posts for anaesthesiologists for their department.
While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, DMCH Director Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman on the other hand claimed that despite the manpower crisis, they had been able to save the lives of 68% of the ICU patients.
Then again, he admitted that the services could be dramatically improved, had there been more anaesthesiologists and a separate organogram for the ICU.
Yesterday, in a meeting with journalists, the DMCH director said, “We cannot send a patient back just because we do not have beds. We admit everyone even if the patient has to be left on the floor. We try to provide medicine and run pathological tests free of cost for all of them.”
He also called upon the journalists to highlight the free health services that the DHMC provided to the patients, especially the poor ones.
