A large number of patients were released from hospitals in the last couple of days as many doctors and nurses already went on leave for celebrating Durga Puja and Eid-ul-Azha.
The patients and their relatives at different hospitals said that the doctors asked them to get released from hospitals as many of the doctors were not at the hospitals and many patients were asked to come back to the hospital after the Eid holiday.
The hospital authorities, however, said that they released only the less critical patients who wanted to go home at their will to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones.
‘As all people want to celebrate Eid or Puja with their dear and near ones, they wanted to go home,’ said Dhaka Medical College Hospital deputy director Mushfiqur Rahman.
‘Those who wanted to go back home were released and asked to come back to the hospital soon after the Eid holiday,’ he said.
Jahanara, a patient admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital about a month back and underwent surgery of ovary about two weeks ago, was released from the hospital on Sunday amid Eid holiday, said her daughter Roksana.
Mushfiqur Rahman said on Sunday that the number of patients admitted at the hospital was dropped at 1,400, while on an average the number of indoor patients remains 2300-2500.
An order issued by hospital director of directorate general of health services on October 7 had asked the government hospitals to take special measure during Eid and Puja holidays.
The order asked all the government hospitals to keep its outpatient departments open in limited scale during the Eid holiday.
Although the government announce holiday from October 14 to October 18, the outpatient departments would remain closed only the day before Eid and the Eid day.
The emergency department will be kept open round the clock at the hospitals, the order said.
MUshfiqur Rahman said that 153 senior staff nurses were on leave while 629 would be on the duty at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on rotation.
‘We can manage our casualty department with our 10 registered doctors,’ he said adding that they might face problem only if any mass casualty took place.
At National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases on Monday most of the doctors — both Muslims and non-Muslims — were found on leave. Only one doctor was on duty at the word while four doctors were in the coronary care unit, said the hospital staff.
Angiogram and scheduled operations will remain suspended at the hospital for five days in October 14-18, said the hospital authorities.
Setting permanent pacemakers would also remain suspended till Friday, they said.
Only emergency vascular surgery and setting temporary pacemaker will continue during the Eid holiday.
Shamim, a 9 year old boy underwent heart surgery for hole at the hospital. His mother Shahnaj Akter said Shamim’s doctor was on leave and now was not at the country. They already got the discharge letter and asked to comeback after the Eid holiday.
Surgery ward senior staff nurse Shiuli Akhter said that most of the patients were discharged from the hospital as routine operation would not be conducted in next few days. The patients were asked to come to the hospital after October 18.
-With New Age input
