Indoor treatment stopped, outdoor services scanty

Beds of Dahagram-Angorpota Hospital in Patgram upazila under Lalmonirhat district lie empty as indoor services at the treatment centre meant for the people living in the enclave area have remained suspended for the last two and a half years due to lack of doctors and other staff. PHOTO: STAR

Indoor services at the 10-bed hospital in Dahagram-Angarpota enclave under Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat district has remained suspended for over two and a half years, much to the sufferings of the people living there.
The outdoor healthcare services of the hospital are also in a shambles.
With the fund of Asian Development Bank, Dahagram-Angarpota hospital was established in 1985 originally to give outdoor services to the enclave inhabitants.
On October 19 in 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the indoor service of the hospital and 27 staffs including four medical officers, a pharmacist, four senior nurses, four assistant nurses, a store keeper, an office assistant, two ward boys, two cooks, two night guards, two MLSS, two ayas and two sweepers were posted there, said sources at the District Civil Surgeon's Office.
New X-ray machine, ambulance, beds and other medical accessories were also arranged for providing adequate services at the hospital.
But only after a month, 15 staffs including three doctors of the enclave hospital were transferred elsewhere and the indoor services virtually stopped.
The outdoor services also badly suffer as six of the 12 existing staffs including a medical officer remain absent most of the time, said enclave people Mansur Ali, Abdul Jabbar, Hamida Bewa, Ahela Khatun and others even the staffs of the hospital.  
The medical officer's mobile number remains off often, they said.
"With the help of some fourth class employees, I am struggling to maintain outdoor healthcare services at the hospital while the indoor services have remained suspended for long," said Zillur Rahman, sub-assistant community medical officer of the hospital.
On several occasions, enclave people submitted written complaints regarding the matter to the local MP and the health department but to effect, they said.
This correspondent failed to contact the medical officer as his mobile was off.
Contacted, Lalmonirhat Civil Surgeon Dr Mostafa Kamal said, "I will try to resume indoor services at the hospital after talking with the authorities concerned of the health ministry. I will take departmental action if any staff is found irregular in duties."