Kurigram's general hospital in a mess!
The Kurigram General Hospital was upgraded to 250 beds in 2010. Eight years down the line there is a crisis in service delivery because physicians and staff have accommodation problems; there is a huge dearth of beds which means many patients are sleeping on the floor; there is a massive shortage of doctors and nurses; and the eight-storey building that was constructed to house the hospital is yet to be completed and handed over to the hospital. All in all, a mess! We would like to know from the authorities why they have not put the contractor on notice to finish the building and hand it over as soon as possible.
Why have steps not been taken to fill up the doctors' positions that have remained vacant (there are only 18 doctors against the posts of 42), over the years, and why are there only 70 nurses on duty (although the hospital is supposed to have 165)? The situation in Kurigram General Hospital is representative of a problem on a grander scale all over Bangladesh where it would appear that policymakers put a lot of emphasis on building infrastructure but not on operational expenditure. That the concerned department in charge of supervising the contractor constructing the building is least bothered with project completion speaks volumes of the lack of accountability in our system of governance.
In the meantime, patients are left to fend for themselves and hospital staff and doctors must make do with what little resources they have at their disposal. We hope that in the interest of public health, all the concerned parties involved in this process will do everything to resolve the crisis of hospital operation, staffing and accommodation.
Comments