A health complex with lone doctor

Nine out of 10 posts of doctor and 6 out of 7 posts of senior nurse are vacant for long in Mithamoin Upazila Health Complex. There is only one assistant health inspector against four posts, according to sources in Kishoreganj Civil Surgeon's office.

Same is the condition as regards other staff and logistics. This correspondent during a visit saw that there was no water supply in the health complex. Some staff alleged that the hospital runs without water for over three years as its two generators and four tubewells are out of order. Patients and their attendants collect water from tubewells outside the compound.

They said, in total, out of 56, 37 are vacant as staff sent to the health complex in remote haor area get transferred through lobbying. It is a five-hour boat journey to Mithamoin, about 40 kilometres away from Kishoreganj town.

Local alleged that most of the days of a month the health complex remains virtually nonfunctional as the lone doctor and other staff generally come in the first week of a month to draw their salaries and maintain official register and other necessary papers, they added.

Tajun Nesa was brought to the complex from Kewarejore village as she fainted after childbirth. Though she needed emergency treatment, she had to wait a day for that. She alleged that there was no doctor wen she was taken there.

The health complex was upgraded to a 31-bed one in 1998 by the then Deputy Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid, who was elected from Mithamoin upazila. Hamid is now Deputy Leader of the Opposition in parliament.

Contacted, Abdul Hamid said the hospital was well-equipped with manpower and logistics when he upgraded and inaugurated it. All its medical equipment, generators, water pumps, tubewells are out of order now and most of the posts of doctors and other staff are vacant for last few years due to neglect by authorities concerned, he added.

Civil surgeon Sayez Uddin said, doctors do not want to stay in the remote haor area and they manage transfer by lobbying with higher authorities. "I am trying my best and hope several doctors will be posted there within a short time", he added.

The lone doctor at the hospital, Momtaz Uddin Bhuiyan, who is also upazila health and family planning officer (UHFPO) said, "I am trying my best but it is not possible to run a hospital in such condition. After all, I am also a human being and need leisure and refreshment".