Home ›› 18 Jul 2022 ›› Nation
Health care services at Gangachara Upazila Health Complex have been seriously hampered for the last few years due to various problems.
The problems facing the 50-bed hospital include a shortage of doctors, poor condition of the hospital building, as well a lack of residential facilities for the doctors and staff.
According to local sources, the complex is running without an X-ray machine which has remained idle for two years. The shortage of manpower has worsened the situation.
Hundreds of patients of the upazila including the char dwellers living in remote areas have been facing severe troubles regularly to get health-care services at the complex.
People of the upazila have been demanding for long to solve the problem to ensure the smooth functioning of the health complex.
The sources said the X-ray department in the complex began in 2011. The machine went out of order in July 2020. The patients, who come to the complex to get treatment, have been deprived of X-ray test facilities since then.
The patients have to count much for doing X-ray tests at different private diagnostic centres of the upazila or going to district headquarter spending Tk 300- 500 while the government rate is Tk 150.
Moreover, the hospital has a huge shortage of manpower that hinders the health –care services. Some 16 posts of health assistants have remained vacant for long against the post of 43. Only 27 health assistants are now working. Five sub-assistant community medical officers are working against the sanctioned posts of 12. There are 31 medical officer posts in the complex while 26 officers are working. There are no optometrists and cardiologists in the hospital.
Shortages of third and fourth class employees have also multiplied the problems. Some 61 third-class employees have been engaged against the designated posts of 93. Only 16 fourth-class employees are serving against the posts of 21.
A physician at the complex, preferring anonymity, said, “We are facing difficulties regularly to offer health-care services to the commoners of the upazila due to shortage of manpower and equipment.
Badsha Miah, a patient who was also a resident of the Gongachara town, said he had to spend Tk 400 for an X-ray test in a local diagnostic centre.
He could not have spent much if the X-ray machine in the complex remained active, he added.
Most of the people in the upazila are landless and vulnerable as they almost are flood–hit. So, it becomes tough for them to spend much for healthcare services. Badsha Miah demanded immediate installation of an X-ray machine in the health complex.
Gongachara Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Asif Ferdous said the complex is the only abode of health care services for the common people of the upazila. The shortage of physicians, technicians and especially third –fourth class employees in the complex has been hindering the health care services to the people.
Around 500-600 people of the upazila come to take health care services in the complex every day. About 50- 60 patients are usually admitted to the complex.
“We could manage despite little shortage of physician and technicians but it becomes tough for us to handle the rush of patients due to huge shortages of third and fourth class employees who are mainly pharmacists storekeeper, ward boy and assistants (Aya).
“We are facing troubles in surgery as the X-ray machine has remained idle for almost two years. The complex also runs without ophthalmologists and cardiologists. We have sent letters many times to the higher authority for repairing the machine or to replace a new one and to solve the crisis of the manpower. We hope that the problem will be solved soon,” he added.
