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June
15, 2000
Kishoreganj,
June 14 (UNB)- The healthcare programme of the government in rural
areas of the district appears to suffer a setback due to numerous
problems including the shortage of doctors and medicine.
After
visiting some upazila health complexes and talking with local people
UNB correspondent found the shortage of doctors, negligence of staff
and nurses in duties and misappropriation of medicine and food and
weakness of administration mainly responsible for the breakdown in the
health sector of the district.
Sanctioned
posts of doctors for 13 upazila health complexes, 17 sub-health
centers and Sadar hospital are 152 but at present only 86 are posted.
Of the posted, four are working outside the district on deputation
since long.
The
health complexes and sub-health centers are running with the shortage
of 66 doctors including child specialists and medicine specialists.
In
absence of medical officers the patients were not getting proper
treatment even in emergency cases. The patients alleged that they had
to buy all medicines from outside at high prices in the absence of
medicine in the hospital.
When
contacted District Civil Surgeon told UNB that he had written to the
higher authorities to fill up the vacant posts of the doctors
immediately. About negligence of the staff and nurses he said, being
local most of the staff and nurses maintain political liaison and as
such they do not bother to perform their duties properly.
Another
official of the Civil Surgeon Office said five ambulances could not be
repaired due to shortage of fund.
On
the other hand, taking the advantage of the situation the owners of
the private clinics are earning windfall profit without rendering
proper treatment to the patients.
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