Health service in Bandarban limps for lack of doctors

Health service in the hill district remains in an awful condition amid acute shortage of doctors, medicines and medical instruments.
Surprisingly though, only 32 medical officials are working in Bandarban Sadar Hospital and the upazila health complexes in the district against 108 posts, said sources at district civil surgeon's office.
“Administrative works and indoor treatments in the health complexes of the district are badly hampered as the posts of resident medical officers have remained vacant for long," said Dr Maong Te Zaw, civil surgeon of the district.  
The 50-bed Bandarban Sadar Hospital was upgraded to 100-bed hospital in 2005 but the numbers of doctors, nurses and technicians were not increased, he said.
It has been running without senior consultant for medicine, senior consultant for orthopaedic surgery, junior consultant for gynaecology, junior consultant for orthopaedics, junior consultant for cardiology and junior consultant for anaesthesia and emergency medical officer for a long time.
Posts of dental surgeons have remained vacant in Ruma, Thanchi, Rowangchhari, Lama, Alikadom and Naikkhongchhari upazila health complexes for long.
Against 23 posts of assistant surgeons, only two persons are now serving -- one at Bandarban Sadar union health and family welfare centre and the other at Lama union health and family welfare centre.
Against nine posts in each upazila health complex, there are only two doctors in Rowangchhari upazila, five doctors in Ruma, two doctors in Lama, three doctors in Alikadom, three doctors in Naikkhongchhari, and only one doctor in Thanchi upazila health complex.
Locals alleged that the doctors often remain absent during the duty hours.
In most cases, the upazila health complexes and union health and family welfare centres in the district can hardly provide any service beyond primary treatment while many people of remote areas have to depend on quacks and unskilled pharmacists, said local public representatives.
The only X-ray machine of 31-bed Lama upazila health complex has remained dysfunctional since 2005.
Both of its ambulances went out of order two years ago but they have not yet been repaired due to fund crisis, said Dr Md Syed Ahmed of Lama upazila health complex.
Critically ill people have to be taken to upazila health complex on shoulders but many have to return without proper treatment due to absence of doctors, said Hla Thwai Prue Marma, Ching Hla Mro and a few other indigenous people in Remakri union under Thanchi upazila.
Reports were sent to the higher authorities for taking urgent steps to deal with the situation but to no effect yet, said sources at Bandarban civil surgeon's office.