UNB
More than 300 of patients of Kotalipara upazila are taking treatment inside dilapidated buildings every day amid heightened risk of an accident occurring at the Upazila Health Complex.
Their suffering has worsened as surgeries have stopped taking place at the complex since last April, now over 7 months, due to shortage of doctors, nurses and other necessary facilities, patients said.
A notice signed by the hospital authorities on the dilapidated second floor of the building warns that patients themselves are responsible for taking treatment there, said Jacqueline Runu Boddho, senior stuff nurse of the health complex.
On a spot visit, UNB correspondent found a big portion of the ceiling on the 2nd floor has loosened and cracks have developed in various parts of buildings.Patients, doctors and nurses have been injured by falling bits of the edifice at different times in the past. The parts still standing are at risk of collapse at any given moment.
The health complex building was built 40 years back. Although it has seen the number of beds in the hospital attached increase to 50 beds from 20 beds during this period, today only nine doctors are serving against the 22 doctors at the start. The 9 doctors are responsible for the 350,000 (3.5 lakh) people living in the upazila, a ratio of nearly 1:40,000, against 1:12,790 nationally.