District hospitals lack preparedness

Swine Flu Outbreak
District hospitals lack preparedness
Most of the district hospitals in the country are not yet ready to treat swine flu patients although the number of infected people with the virus has been swelling every day.
Some hospitals, however, have set up separate flu units but are yet to open any separate corner at the outdoor department from where patients with flu-like symptoms can get ticket and suggestions, patients alleged.
Even testing facility is limited in the capital and that is why the samples taken with swab are sent to the Institute of the Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in Dhaka from different hospitals across the country for confirmation of swine flu.
Reports from different districts also blamed lack of coordination between the government and hospitals in making preparations for combating the virus.
A suspected swine flu patient was admitted to Rajshahi Infectious Disease Hospital on Friday afternoon and the swab collected from the patient has been sent for testing.
A swine flu ward is set up at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) but it is not isolated and also part of the emergency ward of the hospital. The space of the hospital, used earlier as motorcycle and bicycle parking place of on-duty staff, was turned to four-bed isolation ward for the swine flu patients.
The ward has been found unhygienic and glasses and windows of it are broken. Patients coming to the emergency section of the hospital for treatment or admission may easily be infected with the deadly virus.
Dhirendranath Sardar, director of SBMCH, told The Daily Star no patient was admitted at the ward till last Friday.
Meanwhile, an eight-bed swine flu ward and an outdoor corner were opened at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogra about a month back, said the director of the college Brigadier General Md Shafiqul Islam.
A 16-member management committee has been formed to ensure treatment of the infected people alongside creating mass awareness of the disease. Resident Medical Officer of Bogra Mohammad Ali Hospital Dr Abdul Khaleque said a two-bed ward and outdoors have been opened at the hospital on August 28.
Civil Surgeon of Bogra Dr Abdul Haque said a coordination committee has already been formed for treatment and prevention of the disease. He said cautionary measures have also been taken at upazila level.
But no patient with swine flu symptom was admitted to the hospitals since Friday last.
The Khulna Shishu Hospital has opened a separate isolation ward without having any separate outdoor corner for the patients with flu-like illness when the government is repeatedly saying that all the hospitals are directed to open isolation ward and separate outdoor corners for the safety of other patients.
Khulna Medical College Hospital has set up a five-bed swine-flu ward on the ground floor. More beds would be arranged if required, said Superintendent Dr Ali Asghar. But no patient was admitted there.
In Chittagong, three public hospitals including Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Chittagong General Hospital and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Hospital have set up separate isolation wards two to three months back, claimed the civil surgeon of Chittagong.
“We have already directed all upazila level health officials to arrange separate two beds in each health complex of 14 upazilas under the district,” said the civil surgeon, adding that they would also seek help from the health assistants working in the villages to alert people about the disease.
The hospitals and upazila health complexes in Rangpur have little preparations to combat the deadly virus.
Kurigram Civil Surgeon Toufique Elahi told this correspondent that after returning from Dhaka he would give the private clinics written directives about setting up separate isolation wards.
Rangpur Medical College Hospital declared two rooms for contagious diseases wards of the hospital.
Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr Shah Mohammad Reajul Islam said, “All health complexes in the district have already set up isolated units for the suspected swine flu patients.”
Civil Surgeon of Lalmonirhat said leaflets and posters were sent to every upazila health complex on last Tuesday to make the people aware about prevention of swine flu.
Two hospitals in the divisional headquarters of Sylhet started arranging isolated ward for swine flu patients while the districts are yet to be prepared for facing any outbreak.
In Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital, four cabins and eight beds have been kept for the swine flu patients, said Dr Ehteshamul Haque Chowdhury, assistant director of the hospital. A 15-member committee has been formed to look into the swine flu cases if any, the official added.
Besides, a separate desk has been opened at Sylhet Osmani International airport for checking the suspected people coming from abroad, he said. Six physicians have been deputed there.
Meanwhile, an isolated ward of eight beds has been set up at Dr Shamsuddin Hospital in Sylhet for the swine flu patients.
But Habiganj and Sunamganj Sadar hospitals authorities could not set up separate ward for the swine flu patients. It would be done within days, officials said.
However, authorities of all the above hospitals admitted that they have enough stock of the antiviral drug to treat swine flu patients though they are yet to admit any swine flu patients.
A group of students of Rajshahi University under the banner of ‘Abadan’ launched a mass awareness campaign on swine flu yesterday with the slogan ‘Come forward to protect yourselves from swine flu.’
(Our correspondents from Rajshahi, Barisal, Bogra, Khulna, Chittagong, Rangpur and Sylhet contributed to the news story.)

Courtesy of The Daily Star