Tabarak Lakshmipur Correspondent: The Raipur Upazila Health Complex in Lakshmipur is currently facing a critical shortage of manpower. There are no specialist doctors available. Furthermore, 98 positions for doctors, nurses, officers, employees, and cleaners remain unfilled. The X-ray room has been out of service for the past two months. As a result of the lack of doctors, patients visiting the hospital for treatment are not receiving adequate services. Many patients are forced to undergo various tests outside the facility at three times the normal cost.
The operating room is well-equipped with modern technology. However, due to the lack of doctors and a severe fuel shortage, underprivileged patients have been unable to have surgeries for the past three years. In emergencies, patients must spend significant amounts of money to seek surgical care at private hospitals or clinics in the district town.
According to sources at the Raipur Health Complex, on September 28, 2006, BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia upgraded this health complex, which is located in the Denayatpur area of Raipur Municipality, from 31 beds to 50 beds. Despite this upgrade, the hospital is now struggling due to a lack of manpower. Approximately four lakh individuals from 10 unions within the upazila rely on this facility for healthcare.
Stakeholders have expressed that the hospital’s service delivery is being hindered by the closure of the surgery center, which is attributed to a lack of infrastructure, doctors, and manpower. There is an urgent need for manpower, including a gynecologist, to perform surgeries on pregnant women. Although the hospital has an anesthesiologist, it lacks a gynecologist. Two years ago, as part of a project known as the Health Safety Action Plan, equipment worth crores of taka, including a large generator, was procured, but it remains unused. This equipment is deteriorating. Additionally, the hospital does not have a surgical specialist available for other types of surgeries.It was found that there are a total of 203 posts in this health complex, including doctors, nurses, and third- and fourth-class employees. Out of these, 97 posts are vacant. There are 31 doctor posts in the health complex. There are 18 people working against them. Four out of eight medical officer posts are vacant. There are 5 people working against 10 junior consultant posts. There is no doctor in the specialist post. There is one dental surgeon. Although a large number of child patients come to the hospital for treatment every month, there are only two pediatricians in this hospital.
Although important posts like orthopedic, eye, skin and genital, ear, nose, throat, and cardiologist have been created, they are not being filled. Apart from this, there are 15 out of 30 senior staff nurses in the hospital. There are 11 against 24 posts of ward boy, nanny, and cleaner. The cleanliness of some cleaners hired through outsourcing is being looked after.
Although there are four quarter buildings, there are no doctors due to the risk and rainwater.
The hospital opened an operation theater (OT) in 2007. However, from then until February 2022, all types of surgeries were running. Despite the initiative to start it for three years, it is not happening due to the generator and manpower. Although there is no specialist anesthesiologist, Yasin Mahmud, a medical officer trained in anesthesia, is performing the duties of an anesthesiologist. Surgical activities have come to a standstill due to the absence of a generator for three years. Occasionally, ossification is performed for special needs. When the electricity goes out, ossification is performed with the help of candles.
In the seven months from January to July, 25,745 patients received outpatient services at the hospital. Of these, 12,881 were women and 1,949 were children; that is, an average of about 5,500 patients received outpatient services here per month. In June, an average of 54 patients were admitted to the hospital every day.
On July 2, a field visit to the health complex from 10 am to 12 pm and talk to patients revealed various problems. The hospital has an old two-story building and a new two-story building. Although the old two-story building has facilities for keeping patients, treatment has to be done on the ground floor. The administrative building houses the Upazila Health Officer’s office, pharmacy and conference room. A long queue of patients was seen in front of the Upazila Health Officer’s room to get treatment. Beds were also made on the veranda outside various wards. The hospital’s surgery room was locked. The lock was opened with the help of the OT in-charge senior staff nurse. It was seen that all the equipment for surgery was there. The post-operative room next to it is also well-equipped. However, there is no facility for surgery in the hospital.
Sharmin Akhter, a resident of Charkachia village in the Charbangshi union of Raipur, has been hospitalized in the women’s ward for eight days due to chest and back pain. She mentioned that she visits the doctor daily. The quality of food and drink is also quite satisfactory. However, since the X-ray room has been shut down for the past two months, patients are forced to pay three times more for tests and examinations at external facilities.
In response to these issues, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Baharul Alam stated, “If we could reopen a surgical room, it would greatly benefit the community. We had previously opened a surgical room with the presence of an anesthesiologist, but it has been closed for the last two years. It only opens in cases of special necessity. We are consistently reporting the issue of manpower shortages to higher authorities in our monthly reports.” Unfortunately, no benefits are being realized.
