Healthcare services at the 50-bed Nagarpur Upazila Health Complex in Tangail are being severely hampered due to various problems, especially a shortage of necessary workforce.

According to sources at the health complex, only 12 doctors are currently working against 31 posts. Of them, two doctors are on leave.

A couple of doctors come from Dhaka and are often not found at the hospital on time. Only five to six doctors are performing regular duties, they said.

There are no doctors available in the anaesthesia, cardiology, ophthalmology, ENT, surgery, paediatrics, dermatology, sexology and dental departments.

There are also long-standing vacancies for ward assistants, nurses and cleaners in the hospital.

Patients complained that toilets are unusable and there is a lack of cleanliness throughout the hospital.

Several patients -- Roksana Akter, Saiful Islam and Mohammad Abu Taleb – alleged that they were not getting the right medicines from the hospital. They said they even had to go outside for simple blood, urine, X-ray or ultrasonography tests.

"If necessary workforce is not recruited and other facilities are not installed quickly at the health complex, the quality of healthcare will deteriorate further," said local rights activist Azizul Haque.

Dr Md Hafizur Rahman, upazila health and family planning officer in Nagarpur, who joined the hospital recently, said treatment was being hampered and patients were suffering due to various reasons, including shortage of doctors and staff.

"Two doctors are on leave while five others are attached to other workplaces," he said.

He also said necessary tests cannot be conducted due to lack of manpower. "I have informed the higher authorities about the shortages and other problems," he added.

Contacted, Dr Farazi Muhammad Mahbubul Alam Ranju, civil surgeon of Tangail, who also joined recently, said not only Nagarpur but also other upazila health complexes in the district were facing similar problems.

Despite the shortage, a number of doctors are on leave for different purposes and are also engaged in other workplaces.

"We are trying to cancel their deputation or attachment and bring them back to the local hospitals," he said.