In-patients forced out of their beds as medical students sit for exams
At least 85 in-patients were forced out of their beds at two government hospitals in Chittagong and Barisal to make room for practical examinations of medical students yesterday.
In Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), 35 patients of the cardiology ward had to stay in the corridor outside the ward from 8:00am to 1:00pm when an examination of post-graduate students of the cardiology department was held there.
In another case in Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH), some 50 patients of gynaecology and labour ward were shifted to the corridor Friday night to make seating arrangements for a fourth year practical exam of MBBS students yesterday morning.
The patients at CMCH alleged that ward boys and cleaners forced them to stay on the floor of the veranda for long five hours, reported our correspondent from Chittagong.
They expressed anger over the matter and held responsible the medical college and hospital authorities for their suffering.
“There are many rooms, examination halls and seminar rooms in the college. I don’t understand what this inconvenience is for,” said Tahmina Akther, 55, a patient of the cardiology ward.
CMCH Director Brig Gen Mustafizur Rahman told The Daily Star, “Cardiology examinations at post-graduation level are held every year at the ward, and the examinations are very much related to patients. So, temporary inconvenience may occur at that time.”
Prof Selim Mohammad Jahangir, principal of CMCH, said the clinical part of medical exams involves patients so it is not possible to hold the examinations of post-graduate students without patients.
“However, such situation arose mainly due to lack of accommodation,” he added.
Our Barisal correspondent reported that some of the patients at SBMCH complained they had to stay outside the gynaecology ward for the whole night on Friday.
Senior staff nurse of the hospital Delwara Begum said there were 96 patients against 52 seats in the ward and that was why some of them were shifted temporarily to the corridor to make room for the practical exam.
Abdur Rashid, director of the hospital, said he was unaware of the incident and that he would investigate the matter.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
