No surgical services at RMCH for 13 days

Surgical services at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital have remained suspended for the past 13 days in the absence of anaesthetists, causing immense sufferings to the patients.
According to sources at the RMCH, the problem ensued following the transfer of five out of six anaesthetists of the anaesthesia department to other places after their promotion.
The department sources said two assistant professors, one consultant, one junior consultant and six anaesthetists worked under a professor of the department.
The anaesthesia department of the hospital is now failing to cater surgical services to the patients with only one anaesthetist, forcing the patients to take treatment at private clinics.
Nurul Islam, the guardian of a patient who came from Mohadevpur in Naogaon, told New Age that he had come to the hospital for his three-year-old son’s surgery.
‘Everything was ready for the surgery at around 10:00pm on Sunday. But the doctor did not come,’ he said.
‘At one stage, a nurse advised me to go a private clinic if I wanted that my son survive,’ he said.
Ataur Rahaman, an assistant professor of the anaesthesia department, told New Age that from the beginning of the hospital there were six posts for anaesthetists in the department, but the number of patients increased manifold in the meantime.
According to the routine of surgery, the gynaecologists and surgery department was providing surgery four days a week, orthopaedic surgery department two days in a week while nose-ear-throat and eye department one day in a week.
But the routine surgery remained suspended for 13 days for shortage of officials, the RMCH sources said, adding only the department of orthopaedic surgery department was providing services under special arrangement.
ABM Abdul Hannan, principal of the Rajshahi Medical College, told New Age that the surgery services had reminded closed since 28 June.
Deputy director of the hospital Abul Kalam Azad told New Age that five anaesthetists went to another places from here. ‘We have sent letters for three times to the director general of the health directorate in this connection,’ he added.
‘Proper steps should be taken to solve the problems as soon as possible,’ he said also.

Courtesy of NewAge