Many attendants with their child patients have to stay on the floor due to lack of beds and cabins at Rangamati General Hospital. PHOTO: STAR

Twelve-year-old Sonalika Chakma from Midingya chari village in Suvolong union under Barkal upazila, sleeps on the balcony due to lack of beds at Rangamati General Hospital. Like Sonalika, many patients sleep on floors as they have not got cabins or beds due to shortage of space.

The hospital started its journey with 50 beds in 1985 which was later increased to 100-bed, but there was no increase in human resources and infrastructure development. When the hospital was established, the district's population was three lakh, but it is now 6.5 lakh. When the number of patients increases, they face problems such as lack of beds, shortage of doctors and nurses, and out-of-order diagnostic equipment. Most of the toilets are not suitable for use.

A hospital source said there are only 21 doctors against 31 posts and 60 senior and junior nurses against 83 posts. There are many posts vacant, such as, anesthesiologist, dental surgeon, eye consultant, medicine consultant, lady consultant, surgery consultant and emergency medical officer. There is no radiologist or pathologist to conduct diagnostic tests.

Md Jakir Hossain, 32, a patient, said sometimes the hospital X-ray machine and other diagnostic machines remain out of order, so the patients have to go to nearby diagnostic centres and private clinics to get the tests done.

Sishir Chakma said they are to go to a pharmacy in the town to buy any medicine.

Advocate Mihir Baran Chakma, convener of health sub-committee, Socheton Nagorik Committee (Sonak) Rangamati, said they have requested the authorities to set up a public toilet as there is no public toilet in the hospital.

Dr Sneha Kanti Chakma, district civil surgeon, said the district has posts for 176 medical officers at present, but there are only 87 people employed.

The doctors are working relentlessly, he said, adding that if all the posts are filled up hospitals will be able to run actively.

Mongkheu Ching Marma, resident medical officer (in-charge), said food and medicine are allocated for only 100 patients in the general hospital. Increasing hospital infrastructure, human resources and emergency doctors should be done as soon as possible, he added.