The authorities of Betagi Upazila Health Complex are failing to
provide healthcare service even near the necessity of the patients due
to an acute crisis of physicians and lack of other logistics.
About 25, out of 27, posts of doctors are now lying vacant at the
50-bed hospital which is being run by lone physician, Dr Rustom Ali,
also upazila health and family planning officer.
Earlier on September 13 this year, two people Lutfur Rahman and
Byezitur Rahman, who remained in service at the complex as medical
officers, went on training to Dhaka without taking permission from
Rustom Ali.
Later, Sagar Kumar Dutt, deputy medical officer of a community clinic
in Bibichini union under the upazila, was shifted to the health
complex to fill up the gap of the duo.
Rustom Ali has to often go to Barguna on emergency works, due to which
providing medical service by the hospital to the patients sometimes
becomes very difficult.
Besides, X-ray and ECG machines in the hospital have been lying out of
order for the last four years, forcing the patients to go to the
district town or Barisal divisional city to do even small pathological
tests.
Rustom Ali, however, told the UNB that they have already informed the
authorities concerned of the doctors’ crisis.
Contacted, Barguna Civil Surgeon AHM Zahirul Islam said there was no
gynaecologist in the district for the last one and a half years.
Apart from this, most of the posts of other physicians as well as
medical officers have remained vacant for long, adding to woes of the
treatment seekers of the upazila. -UNB, Barguna
