Government hospitals in the capital city were forced to release many less critical patients ahead of Eid as a large number of doctors and nurses have gone on leave.
Meanwhile, the government issued an order on Sunday to keep outdoor patient departments in all the government hospitals open except for on the Eid day.
The number of admitted patients at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Monday was significantly less than usual, officials said.
There was also no rush of patients at the out patient department of DMCH, they said.
DMCH released on Monday 50-year old Farida Begum who was under treatment for brain tumour, hospital sources said.
Admitted on October
2, she received 28 radio therapies, they said.
DMCH asked her to return to the hospital after 15 days, when she would be given two remaining therapies she needs, her attendants said.
They said that the hospital let her go due to the Eid vacation.
There was no pressure of patients in the hospital wards, said DMCH ward master Abdul Hakim.
He said that the DMCH surgery unit had only about 10 patients and only six patients were there in the cardiac ward.
DMCH director Brigadier General Shahidul Haque Mallik said, ‘Usually, the number of patients falls significantly during the Eid vacation.’
He, however, said that the rush at the emergency unit and the casualty ward remains during the Eid holidays.
‘The DMCH continues to receive patients from different parts of the country, besides those referred by other hospitals, both private and government, during this period,’ Mallik said.
He said, ‘the resident physicians and surgeons remain on duty during the Eid vacation.’
He said that the out patient department will remain closed only on the dayof Eid day following a government.
At the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases, angiogram, scheduled operations, permanent pacemaker setting would remain suspended for four days beginning today, said resident physician at NICVD Kajal Kumar Karmakar.
He said that only emergency vascular surgery and temporary pacemaker setting would continue during the vacation.
Nur Islam, admitted to NICVD on November 9 following a heart attack, has been released and asked to return after two weeks for an angiogram he needs, said his daughter.
She said that the NICVD did it because ‘my father has to stay at hospital after the angiogram.’
NICVD discharged many patients, though many of them were reluctant to leave, ahead of Eid, said hospital sources.
A total of eight doctors were on duty at the cardiac medicine indoor unit and four were in the cardiac surgery indoor unit during the vacation days, Kajal said.
NICVD officials said that on an average each day they usually treat 400 to 450 patients at the outd patient department and admit around 200 patients.
The rush of patients fell sharply at the out patient department as Eid is approaching, they said. NICVD admitted 55 patients on Sunday and only five until midday on Monday, they said.
At the OPD, they said, NIVD gave treatment to only 70 patients on an average over the last two days.
Several admitted patients said that Shaheed Suhrawardi Hospital discharged them ahead of Eid.
Hazera Begum, admitted to the hospital on November 10 following stroke, was released and asked to return after the vacation, though she was not fully cured, said her daughter Nahal.
