Nurul Azam
bdnews24.com Correspondent


Dhaka, Apr 1 (bdnews24.com)—Residents of Khagrachharhi are not getting medical facilities they need since doctors keep away from working in the hill district.

Khagrachharhi Sadar Hospital and eight upazila health centres are running with 52 percent doctors less than they are supposed to; there are only 41 doctors against a requirement of 127. The lack of physicians is causing inordinate delay in treatment of patients.

Laxmichharhi Upazila Health Complex has only one doctor, but it needs nine. And although the other upazila health complexes are better-off on that count, they are far short of having the required professional on hand to take care of the people in need.

The district's civil surgeon Hasan Imam Chowdhury told bdnews24.com: "No doctor comes to Khagrachharhi even after being they are posted by the (health) ministry."

Khagrachharhi Parbatya Zila Parishad (hill district association) chairman Kujendra Lal Tripura said, "We are suffering with huge problems as doctors who are not natives do not want to stay in Khagrachharhi."

To make matters worse, the district's health department has faltered on the launch of the extended three-storey complex of the Sadar Hospital, built four years ago at a cost of Tk 50 million.

The hospital has 20 vacancies of physicians but only 11 of them have been filled. The hospital has only one senior consultant against five posts while all three posts for junior consultants are vacant.

Recently, the government transferred six doctors to the hospital but only one of them joined, the authorities said.

Residential medical officer Sanjeeb Tripura and gynaecologist Joya Chakma told bdnews24.com that they worked double shifts as they did not have associates.

Sudhin Kumar Chakma, president of Khagrachharhi district unit of Sushaner Jonyo Nagorik (Sujon), an advocacy group on good governance, said, "Such a situation in such an important fundamental service sector like health proves that the government has indifference to the hill tracts."

Sudhin Chakma, a citizens' movement leader, urged the authorities to immediately resolve the issues.

Patients said they often do not get doctors. Many of them could be seen lying on verandas and floors due to lack of space in health facilities despite their being hamstrung by a lack of physicians.

Zila Parishad chairman Kujendra said he wrote a letter over the issue to higher authorities.

bdnews24.com/corr/ost/bd/1621h