CCU at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in disarray

The Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) of Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) is not in operational condition. Its only angiogram machine is not working, and all its air conditioners are out of order, which means the unit is barely functioning.

While the angiogram machine has been out of order for at least six months, the air conditioning has not been working for around two years, sources told this correspondent.

On top of this, the 12-bed unit has to regularly deal with two to four times its capacity. The situation has become so bad now that patients from the city are looking for alternative healthcare facilities, despite the hospital's locational convenience.

Speaking to this correspondent, the relative of an admitted patient said due to the environment at SBMCH, they are left of with no choice but take their patient to the capital.

Another patient's relative complained, "Even a healthy person will get sick here in this heat without any air conditioning. How can a heart patient stay here?"

Firoz Alam, deputy assistant engineer of Barishal's Public Works Department, confirmed the eight air conditioners' situation. "They have been damaged for a long time. This has been reported to higher authorities."

There is also a personnel crisis at the unit. One patient's attendant informed that doctors and health assistants come to check on patients for only a little while, which is nowhere near sufficient for critical patients.

Asked about this, an on-duty doctor of the unit, on condition of anonymity, said, "There is only one registrar and three medical officers at our unit. As a result, it has become impossible to continue providing satisfactory medical service for us."

Contacted, SBMCH Director HM Saiful Islam admitted that there is a shortage of doctors and other staffers at the CCU unit, while also confirming the angiogram and AC situation. He said he has contacted the Directorate General of Health Services regarding the matter.

"I have written to the higher authorities in the last one month about the staffing issue, as well as the out of order angiogram and air conditioners. But so far, none of them have been resolved. However, I'm trying my best to take care of all these problems and hope they will be resolved soon," the director told this correspondent on Friday.