Eight Intensive Care Units (ICUs), set up in 2018 at the National Institute of Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) in Tejgaon in the capital, are limping for shortage of skilled healthcare manpower and rusting of equipment for two years.
However, these ICUs could not be launched due to lack of manpower and some of the newly-bought important equipment of the laboratory and operation theatre of this specialized hospital are either rusting or have gone out of order.
A report by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), the government's project monitoring agency, has revealed the messy state of the hospital.
Hospital officials said the hospital's director had written to Director General Nursing and the Department of Midwifery on January 20 this year asking for manpower.
The project titled 'Establishment of National Institute of ENT 1st Phase in Dhaka' was undertaken in July 2006 to enhance the medical services to the people suffering from nose, ear and throat conditions.
The project was revised twice as the work was not completed within the stipulated time. Expenditure increased to Tk 62.41 crore. The work was completed in June 2014. IMED assessed the impact of the project last May.
The impact assessment report said that although the project was completed in June 2014, most of the equipment reached the hospital in 2016. The overall responsibility for procurement of equipment was with the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD). Failure to install the equipment on time hampered the delivery of healthcare services. Eight state-of-the-art Artificial Respiratory Ventilator (ARV) machines were purchased for the ICU. So far it has not been possible to launch ICU units and some sleep labs meant for records your brain waves, heartbeats and breathing as you sleep. The condition of the established laboratory, some important equipment of the operation theatre is also the same. Each of these devices, which is essential for ICUs, is bought for Tk 70 lakh.
IMED Secretary Abul Mansur Faizullah said that the matter is very sad because medical instruments have been purchased, but these are slowly being damaged.
“There are some problems with the existing infrastructure which have also been mentioned in the report.”
“Hopefully, the public will benefit if you follow the advice. As the quality of service increases, so we can reduce the loss of state resources,” he said.
In this context, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, "I have seen the situation when I was the Deputy Commissioner in different districts." Instruments were bought and left in different hospitals. The main reason for this was that skilled manpower was not created before buying these equipment,” he said.
Minister further said “Catalogues were sent from abroad but they did not understand. But if the situation does not improve in this period, it is sad for country.”
The convener of Jannaswashthya Sangram Parisad Faiezul Hakim said the situation of the government hospitals will not improve until efficient and perfect officials are not in position.
It should drop the policy of putting the political people in the big post like health sector, he said.
According to the report, IMED said that the poorest patients across the country were treated more at the National Institute of ENT Hospital in the capital. But due to lack of adequate and skilled manpower, many machines were not put into operation.
As a result, patients are not getting expensive services like ICU. Six years after the project's completion, the hospital has not been able to launch professional academic courses in MS, FCS and Audiology to groom up a skilled workforce for nose, ear and throat diseases, the report said.
Despite having separate infrastructure, it was not possible to launch the canteen. Lack of accommodation or dormitory facilities for resident doctors and nurses has led to a housing crisis for doctors and nurses. The report recommends that ICU units and some polysomnogram laboratories be utilised through rapid recruitment of manpower and that initiatives be taken to maintain important non-performing equipment. It has also recommended starting courses immediately to create skilled manpower.
At present, there are a limited number of nose, ear and throat doctors in the country, the report said.
The proportion of specialized physicians and patients is increasing due to the inability to introduce post graduate courses at the National Institute of ENT Hospital. Measures can also be taken for the treatment of cancer. IMED says that in order to increase the quality of services, it is necessary to provide AC to make the patient's waiting room comfortable as the Audiology room is confined to a large area. There are also small holes in the walls of the main audiological examination centre, which are not technically appropriate. Necessary measures should be taken to stop the flow of water from the air conditioner pipes of the operating room of the elevator on the roof of the hospital building.
