Various problems at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RpMCH) run deep and have been persistent for years, exacerbated by corruption, syndicates, and a severe shortage of medical facilities and manpower.
RpMCH sources said the syndicate remained active in the hospital to harass the patients and relatives.
Recently, a demand was made from the section of conscious citizens and students of the quota reform movement that army personnel need to be deputed to the director position of the hospital which will help to ensure healthcare facilities.
They placed the demand on the Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus during his recent visit to Rangpur.
The sources said equipment and machinery for examining and diagnosing the patients' diseases often remain inoperative in the hospital. Thus, patients have to go outside for the required test spending extra money.
Several valuable branded medical equipment cartons remained useless for around 30 years at the central storehouse of RpMCH. The cartons are getting scratched and the machinery inside will probably become dysfunctional bearing dust and pest attacks due to the negligence of the hospital authority.
Officials of the store in charge could not confirm the details of the machinery as those were not unfolded and listed in the office registers.
Supplied medical equipment and accessories from different foundations and central medical sources department (CMSD) usually are registered in the books of the storehouse before delivering to respective departments and wards of the hospital for use. But the cartons have not yet opened.
RpMCH central storehouse tailor, Mohammad Yasin said, he has been serving in the store for the last thirty years and witnessing the cartons since then. He has no idea about the equipment in the cartons.
Instrument Caretaker, Nahid Islam said, he has been serving here for five years. Earlier three officials had served in the position. Of them one died and two retired.
He has not been instructed to open the cartons by the authority for reasons unknown.
An employee of the storehouse requesting an unnamed said, there might be physiotherapy, laparoscopy and other valuable machinery in the cartons left on the floor for several years causing harm to the valuable tools bought from the national exchequer.
Senior store in-charge officer, Dr Moniruzzaman Rinku said he heard that the cartons of medical equipment were brought to the storehouse a long years back.
The necessary medical tools requisitioned from the concerned departments approved by the authority are usually sent to the hospital storehouse from the central medical source department. Then the items get listed in the office register.
“But we have no idea about the medical tools in the folded cartons as the details were not mentioned in the office register earlier. We, however, don't feel any necessity to open the cartons.
The machinery and equipment remain brand new. We will open the cartons taking permission from the director’s office soon,” he added.
Meanwhile, many of the patients and their relatives, however, expressed their dissatisfaction and frustration over the problem and the crisis of receiving proper healthcare facilities in the hospital.
President, of Bangladesh Private Hospital Clinic and Diagnostic Owners Association, Rangpur district and the divisional unit, Dr Syed Mamunur Rhaman said many valuable latest medical equipment remained lying unused not only in the storehouse but also in different wards and departments of the hospital due to negligence of the authority.
Former President, Bangladesh Private Medical Practitioner (BPMP) and Family medicine specialist, Dr Mofizul Islam Mantu said, RpMCH is a state-run 1,000-bed hospital in the division. So, it must have tertiary-level healthcare facilities. However, a shortage of beds required manpower, machinery and equipment in the hospital has been hampering the healthcare service severely.
The hospital witnesses a heavy rush of patients every day. It is an urgent need to improve the healthcare facilities, he added.
