Health service limps due to lack of doctors

Treatment seekers from different areas of the district are suffering a lot as 40 out of 58 posts of doctors at the 250-bed Patuakhali General Hospital are lying vacant for long.

The 40 vacant posts include that of senior consultant (child), senior consultant (cardiology), senior consultant (orthopaedic), junior consultant (cardiology), junior consultant (eye), junior consultant (anaesthetist), junior consultant (radiology), resident physician, resident surgeon, resident medical officer, and two out of three  anaesthetists, hospital sources said.

Only five doctors are working against 35 posts of medical officers.

"I brought my child to the hospital four days ago but I had to stay on the floor for three days. The only one doctor working at this ward couldn't visit my kid regularly," said Khadija Begum, a resident of College Road in Patuakhali town.

Toilets remain woefully dirty all the time, said Khadija.

Two out of three posts of doctors at the children's ward are lying vacant for long, hospital source said, adding that over 150 patients stay at the ward on an average although there are only 60 beds.

Bellal Hossain of Jaikathi village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila said he was admitted to the surgery ward of the hospital four days ago but the doctor visits him only once a day.

"Amid acute shortage of doctors as well as lack of necessary beds, we are facing serious problem to run the hospital as about 800 patients visit outdoors, over 400 stay indoor, and around 300 others come to the emergency department on an average daily," said Md Nazrul Islam, hospital superintendent.

"In view of people's demand, we want upgrading the hospital to a 500-bed one along with posting of sufficient manpower here," he said.