Sufferings of patients continue
Staff Correspondent
Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), the biggest state run health care center set up for providing treatment to the poor and common people, is failing in many ways to accomplish the task as muscle power, indiscipline, and corruption have plagued it causing immense suffering to the patients.
An organized group comprising ward in charges, ward masters, ward boys, officials and a section of physicians along with outsiders involved in private clinic are always active to frustrate the patients and their relatives instead of co-operating with them.
Earlier, in the face of a raid conducted by the joint forces against outsiders, brokers and mismanagement, a significant change was made in DMCH but the gloomy and miserable scenario again have started surfacing in the hospital.
“For the last three months, I along with my patient have been staying on the floor of the hospital for treatment. If any one wants to get a bed, he has to pay extra taka five hundred to six hundred to the ward boy, ward master and ward in-charge. As I failed to provide them with money I could not get a bed for my relative who is a critical patient. Apart from this on-duty doctors do not inquire about the conditions of my patient regularly. The food supplied by the hospital is sub-standard. If my patient takes this food, his condition would deteriorate further. So usually I supply food to my patient from my house,” Shirin Pravin expressed disappointed to the Bangladesh Today on Monday.
Jahangir Hossain, now under treatment on the floor in the hospital since Sunday morning alleged no physician visited him till Monday morning.
“Two nurses had come to me but they did not suggest me what should I do now. They told me that the physicians are supposed to advice me about my diseases and other problems. Since Sunday morning I have been waiting for a doctor but all in vain. But my condition is deteriorating. Meanwhile, two ward boys along with two other persons came to me and advised me to go to a private clinic for better service saying ‘patient do not get good health care’ from the government hospital. When I refused, they started putting pressure on me to go to the private clinic. I informed of the matters to the ward in-charge but he also asked me to leave the hospital. I am in a fix as to what to do right now?” he narrated.
While talking to this correspondent DMCH director Brig Gen Dr. MD Abdus Shahid Khan claimed DMCH is providing the best health care service for the patients and it will be able to improve its service within short time, as six hundred-bed extension building of the DMCH will be launched soon.
“We are trying our best to provide health care service for the patients. Physicians, nurses, and other employees of the hospital are very much co-operative to serve the patient,” DMCH director said.
When asked about the allegation of mismanagement, irregularities and indiscipline, showing his busy schedule he avoided giving any reply.
According to the administration sources, having some 1700 beds and 100 cabins in DMCH, the hospital has to provide various treatment for the patient everyday. The number of patient is always three times higher than that of beds. As a result a large number of patients are undergoing treatment on the floor of different wards and corridors in unhygienic and chaotic atmosphere.
Talking to the Bangladesh Today physicians on condition of anonymity said to ensure proper medical service and stop huge turnout of patients in DMCH ‘a reference system’ should be introduced through out the country’s all government health complexes and hospitals.
“If the thana health complexes and district general hospitals in a systematic way referred the patient to other big hospitals on the basis of conditions of the patients, it will be good for us. On the other hand, our physician’s attitudes towards the patients will have to be changed.”
The doctors are not available in the hospital compound. Luckily by chance, if they are then the required medicine is sure to be short of supply and the basic diagnostic tools to be out of order. The list of malpractice is huge and appropriate measures are needed to be taken to put this biggest hospital on the right functional track.
Courtesy: thebangladeshtoday.com
