TDS Desk

Lalmonirhat railway hospital faces acute shortage of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians and other staff, hampering its medical service to the people and railway men.

Sources said currently, indoor medical services of the hospital are about to be closed as outdoor and emergency medical services are hardly functioning.

It is known that a few patients come to the hospital for treatment every week and the condition of the indoor department is very deplorable. One or two patients are admitted to the 32-bed hospital occasionally.

The hospital once used to provide round the clock medical services to local patients, railway staff and their family members, treat injured staff, conduct regular health check-up and various tests, provide first aid boxes to guards and station masters, provide emergency ambulance service, etc.

But now, it is in sorry state as the medical activities of this hospital are being hampered and there is no scientific equipment to provide advanced health services.

Although there are medicines, patients do not get much benefit from them.

Railway officials, employees and locals said that due to the shortage of doctors and manpower at Lalmonirhat Railway Hospital, they have to go to other hospitals to get medical services.

In such a situation, they have sought the government’s intervention to solve the problems of the hospital in the public interest without delay.

Local resident Mohammad Ali, 54, said most of the doors inside the hospital are locked although they are opened occasionally but there is no activity there. A spooky atmosphere has been created due to the locking of most of the doors inside the hospital.

According to hospital sources, the 32-bed hospital has 10 beds for women and 20 for men, along with 2 beds for officials. The hospital has only one doctor, one senior staff nurse and 3 other employees.

Senior staff Nurse of Lalmonirhat Center Roksana Begum (45) said when the medical center was fully functional, a lot of patients used to come.

If it is made operational, it will be possible to provide medical services to thousands of people in this district along with railway officials and employees, the nurse said.

Humayun Kabir, 40, a medical technologist working in radiography, said currently, there is no indoor medical service. So, no patient is admitted.

Lalmonirhat Divisional Medical Officer Dr. Mahfuz Iftekhar Bhuiyan said the medical service of the hospital has been greatly affected due to the shortage of doctors and manpower.

He sought government’s help to solve the problems of the hospital.

Bangladesh Railway Lalmonirhat Divisional Manager Md. Abdus Salam said that a letter has been sent to the higher authorities to increase the manpower.

The hospital will become operational if the required manpower is deployed.

“We will continue to talk to the higher authorities to ensure health services,” Salam said.