Patients increase in number, but no doctor to treat them

More than 64 per cent posts of doctors in the public hospitals in Barisal, including the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH), have been lying vacant for a long time. At the same time, the number of patients has gone up across the division. So, the situation of healthcare in Barisal is easily understandable.

Sources in the Barisal divisional health directorate office said that only 415 of the 1,135 sanctioned posts of doctors are occupied in the 376 public health service centres, including six hospitals and 40 health complexes. In the (SBMCH), only 156 doctors are working against the 220 sanctioned posts.

This reporter recently visited SBMCH and other health centres and sensed dissatisfaction among the doctors and nurses as well as patients. He found many patients waiting for a doctor, but they got no visit.

The reporter found a very worried Sahenoor Begum in the surgery ward. Her husband was injured in an accident. They first visited the Razapur upazila health complex, where they found no doctor or the minimum of facilities. They came to SBMCH after that. But the situation is quite the same.

Sawkat Hosen, whose father is admitted to the ICU, claimed that the latter is on the verge of death, but there are no doctors.

Farida Begum and Kaniz Fatema, senior staff nurses in the ICU of SBMCH, said treatment has stopped in the ICU since September due to the absence of doctors. An ICU needs at least 12 doctors, but in SBMCH, there is none, they said. The authorities have stopped admitting patients to the ICU, they added.

The ICU was opened to patients in March 2016, and since then, 562 patients have been admitted. Out of them, 65 per cent recovered and returned home, the nurses said.

The reporter found a similar situation in the medicine, surgery, labour and other wards of the hospital.

Dr Mustafizur Rahman, the director of SBMCH, said that at least 1,800 patients are admitted to the hospital against a capacity of only 500. “Over 1,000 patients visit our door every day. But, the hospital has only 156 doctors against the sanctioned 220 posts,” he said. Dr Rahman added that most doctors are from other districts and have no interest in staying in Barisal. The reporter also visited Banaripara, Babuganj, and Muladi upazila health complexes and found the same picture. The patients alleged that doctors visit them sometimes—not to treat them but to ask them to visit their chamber for private treatment. The patients alleged that this happens on a regular basis.

Dr Mahbubur Rahman, the director (health) of Barisal, said 714 posts of doctors are lying vacant in the division for a long time. Only 420 doctors are on duty in the six district hospitals, 40 upazila health complexes, 70 sub-health centres, and 266 union health centres against 1,134 sanctioned posts.

The situation of healthcare is so dismal because the patient flow is increasing by the day, he added. Official records say that about 2.6 lakh patients visit the health service centres every month, he said. Of that, about 29,000 are hospitalized, 31,000 visit the emergency department, and 2 lakh patients visit the outpatient department. Around 200 patients die every month, he added.

Sources in the divisional health office claimed that 571 doctors are in charge of treating more than one crore people in the six districts of Barisal. So, on an average, one physician has to serve around 20,000 people.

The worst sufferers of the shortage of physicians are the poor people in the rural areas. They cannot afford healthcare services from the private sector. There is a severe shortage of doctors in the upazila health centres. The monitoring system of this service is also allegedly very poor. A large number of doctors in the upazila health centres allegedly do not stay on duty in the evening.

However, the director (health) of Barisal claimed that the government has undertaken plans to develop public healthcare services in Barisal division. The vacant posts of physicians will be filled, enough posts will be created for medical assistants and assistant surgeons, and the 30-bed health complexes will be upgraded to 50-bed hospitals.

 

 

Patients increase in number, but no doctor to treat them

More than 64 per cent posts of doctors in the public hospitals in Barisal, including the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH), have been lying vacant for a long time. At the same time, the number of patients has gone up across the division. So, the situation of healthcare in Barisal is easily understandable. Sources in the Barisal divisional health directorate office said that only 415 of the 1,135 sanctioned posts of doctors are occupied in the 376 public health service centres, including six hospitals and 40 health complexes. In the (SBMCH), only 156 doctors are working against the 220 sanctioned posts. This reporter recently visited SBMCH and other health centres and sensed dissatisfaction among the doctors and nurses as well as patients. He found many patients waiting for a doctor, but they got no visit. The reporter found a very worried Sahenoor Begum in the surgery ward. Her husband was injured in an accident. They first visited the Razapur upazila health complex, where they found no doctor or the minimum of facilities. They came to SBMCH after that. But the situation is quite the same. Sawkat Hosen, whose father is admitted to the ICU, claimed that the latter is on the verge of death, but there are no doctors. Farida Begum and Kaniz Fatema, senior staff nurses in the ICU of SBMCH, said treatment has stopped in the ICU since September due to the absence of doctors. An ICU needs at least 12 doctors, but in SBMCH, there is none, they said. The authorities have stopped admitting patients to the ICU, they added. The ICU was opened to patients in March 2016, and since then, 562 patients have been admitted. Out of them, 65 per cent recovered and returned home, the nurses said. The reporter found a similar situation in the medicine, surgery, labour and other wards of the hospital. Dr Mustafizur Rahman, the director of SBMCH, said that at least 1,800 patients are admitted to the hospital against a capacity of only 500. Over 1,000 patients visit our door every day. But, the hospital has only 156 doctors against the sanctioned 220 posts, he said. Dr Rahman added that most doctors are from other districts and have no interest in staying in Barisal. The reporter also visited Banaripara, Babuganj, and Muladi upazila health complexes and found the same picture. The patients alleged that doctors visit them sometimesnot to treat them but to ask them to visit their chamber for private treatment. The patients alleged that this happens on a regular basis. Dr Mahbubur Rahman, the director (health) of Barisal, said 714 posts of doctors are lying vacant in the division for a long time. Only 420 doctors are on duty in the six district hospitals, 40 upazila health complexes, 70 sub-health centres, and 266 union health centres against 1,134 sanctioned posts. The situation of healthcare is so dismal because the patient flow is increasing by the day, he added. Official records say that about 2.6 lakh patients visit the health service centres every month, he said. Of that, about 29,000 are hospitalized, 31,000 visit the emergency department, and 2 lakh patients visit the outpatient department. Around 200 patients die every month, he added. Sources in the divisional health office claimed that 571 doctors are in charge of treating more than one crore people in the six districts of Barisal. So, on an average, one physician has to serve around 20,000 people. The worst sufferers of the shortage of physicians are the poor people in the rural areas. They cannot afford healthcare services from the private sector. There is a severe shortage of doctors in the upazila health centres. The monitoring system of this service is also allegedly very poor. A large number of doctors in the upazila health centres allegedly do not stay on duty in the evening. However, the director (health) of Barisal claimed that the government has undertaken plans to develop public healthcare services in Barisal division. The vacant posts of physicians will be filled, enough posts will be created for medical assistants and assistant surgeons, and the 30-bed health complexes will be upgraded to 50-bed hospitals.