The Upazila Health Complex itself is sick

  • Kollol Roy, Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Photo: barta24.com

Photo: barta24.com

Ulipur is one of the largest upazilas of Kurigram district. Upazila health complex with 50 beds is the shelter of health care for about 5 lakh people of this upazila. Compared to that, the hospital does not have enough manpower and equipment to provide services. Besides, the garbage chute on one side of the main building added another dimension to the unsanitary environment of the hospital.

On Monday (August 21), it was found that the total number of patients admitted to the women's, men's and children's wards of the hospital is 46. 2 of them are dengue patients. Besides, an average of 300 patients comes to the outpatient department for emergency services every day.

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Although there is a clean environment in front and west side of the hospital premises, garbage and water logging were seen near the gate of the main building and adjacent to the building on the east side. Along with that, the stench of garbage is reaching the ward of admitted patients. In such an environment, the Aedes mosquito, the carrier of dengue disease, spreads. Due to the poor condition of the hospital, there is fear of dengue among the rest of the patients.

Jeeban Sarkar (23), a resident of Sabuj Para in Ulipur pourashava, was admitted on Sunday with chest pain and fever. Apart from fever, gas medicine, saline, canola, he had to buy all medicines from outside. He said, I have given dengue test. Even if I don't bring dengue from outside, I am at risk of dengue in this condition of the hospital.

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Ashraful Islam (21) was admitted with dengue from Bajra Kasimbazar area of Ulipur upazila. His mother Akalima Begum said that they are not given any medicine except fever medicine. We are not satisfied with the treatment here. We are vomiting from the bad smell.

Salma Begum, the midwifery member in charge of the hospital, said that the environment of the hospital is better than before but not completely clean. We like to serve in a clean environment. If the authorities do not take action in this regard, we have nothing to do. We also want the hospital to be clean.

Meanwhile, the hospital's digital X-ray machine has been non-functional for about 8 months. There is a designated person as operator of this machine.

The dilapidated old ECG machine is kept only for the comfort of patients who come to the emergency department for treatment. However, due to doubts about its effectiveness and tests, patients who come for treatment are getting tests from outside diagnostic centers. In this, patients coming for treatment are paying extra money in the clutches of brokers of various diagnostic centers. Also, since there is no gynecologist in the hospital, obstetric services are being provided by hiring doctors from outside. As a result, patients have to pay extra money from the government service charges. People are in dire straits due to poor ECG, ultra sonogram equipment and lack of X-ray machine.

According to the statistics office of the hospital, this 50-bed Ulipur Upazila Health Complex is the only hope of about five lakh people of 13 unions and one pourashava of the upazila. There are only 3 against 10 specialist doctors and 6 against 10 junior consultants.

Ulipur Upazila Health Complex has been providing medical services to about five lakh people of the upazila with the shortage of doctors. Recruitment of class III and IV has been stopped for the last 14 years. There are supposed to be 3 nurses against one doctor but it is not there. There is no Aya, only one ward boy. However, about 300 outpatients and 60 in patients receive treatment daily.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Md. Meshkatul Abed said that the ultra sonogram and ECG equipment will be repaired very soon. The cost of each part of the X-ray machine is around Tk. three and a half lakh, so it is costly for us to repair it. I have reported the matter to the Ministry of Health; I hope they will take action quickly.

Regarding the environment of the hospital, he said, the responsibility of the Department of Health Engineering is to reform the drainage management of the hospital. They have not worked in this hospital for a long time. Besides, the pourashava is responsible for garbage removal. We are working in coordination with them to restore the clean environment of the hospital.