Government health service in Savar is severely being hampered due to low bed capacity at government health complex and lack of other required facilities for millions of people in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.
Hospital sources said, only 26 doctors have to serve a small number of patients whereas on an average hundreds of people rushed to the hospital every day to get treatment from its emergency, outdoor, and indoor sections. So, many of the patients are deprived of expected quality service which leads the patients to step on to the private hospitals, even for flimsy health issues; and private hospital syndicates get the chances of taking toll on patients utilising the situation. According to the hospital authority, a total of 1, 81, 966 patients have received treatment from this hospital’s indoor, outdoor, and emergency sections from January to September in 2012. Of them, 3807 patients got treatment from its indoor section, 11451 from emergency section, and 166708 from its outdoor section.
Although there are 26 doctors, it was learnt that most of them usually remain engaged in different kinds of official work --- UH&FPO at hospital administrative work, Residential Medical Officer (RMO) at indoor section, some in emergency section, some consultants, and the senior doctor has to tackle other surgery sites along with health professional team formed by other hospital staff and nurses. This means, only 7 to 8 doctors have to handle a large number of patients everyday at the outdoor.
Besides, the hospital building and other structures are in dilapidated and vulnerable conditions that may cause any kind of accident anytime. Bangladesh Post obtained some letters sent to the health ministry and concerned department several times by this hospital authority, where they mentioned these dilapidated buildings needed reconstruction considering the risk of the lives of the patients as well as the pasersby who walk beside the hospital. They also requested the authorities conserned to upgrade hospital capacity to serve millions of people living in this upazila.
Dr Sayemul Huda, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer of Savar told Bangladesh Post, “We are constantly working to serve the patients of our best. But the reality is that we are not capable of delivering all kinds of hospital services as all facilities are not available here, and this is why still many patients have to move on to other places and private hospitals.
Bangladesh Post correspondent has recently visited the hospital and talked to many patients and their family members. One Nasrin Akhter, who was waiting in front of a doctor's room said, she went there to visit a doctor for her 4-year-old child, as she believes that government hospital treatment's quality is much more better than that of the private hositals. "At least the service here is cost-effective where you can get treatment for only taka 5, and getting some medicine free of cost as well", she said, adding that it would be more satisfactory if the government recruit sufficient number of doctors and arrange other facilities here. Waiting in a row and crowd for a long time are very uncomfortable, she added.
However, expressing distress, another woman named Laboni Akhter said she was not satisfied with the hospital service, alleging that doctors there don't hear patients with minimum care, rather they misbehaved with the patients. “I determined not to come here again, as the environment here, doctor’s behavior, and the facilities for patients are not healthy, I think, at least the place not suitable for me”.
It was seen that after visiting the hospital indoor section, beds, bed sheets, pillows there were not so good, and most were dirty. Besides, the ward environment also not so good as it should be.
When asked about the allegation of misbehaving with the patients, Sayem Huda replied, “Doctors sometimes lost temper as they have to treat hundreds of patients every day, and it is quite difficult for a doctor to treat hundreds of patients within 9:00 am to 2:00 pm time.
However, if anybody lodges any complaint regarding any service to me, I will personally look after it, and obviously, action will be taken”.
Contacted Dr. Abu Hussain Md. Moinul Ahsan said that Proposal to develop Savar Govt Health Complex has already been sent to the higher authority.
Besides, our health minister also assured us to develop it during his last visit. So, we hope that the process to develop the hospital will begin soon in public interest.
