United News of Bangladesh

Once expected to be a beacon of healthcare in the southwestern region, Chuadanga Sadar Hospital is now struggling to deliver even basic medical services. A severe manpower shortage, coupled with the absence of an anaesthesia consultant for nearly a year, has left hundreds of patients in distress and turned the 250-bed hospital into a place of frustration and uncertainty, locals said. Although the hospital was upgraded to a 250-bed facility years ago, it continues to operate with the manpower sanctioned for just 50 beds — and receives allocations for food and medicine suitable for only 100 beds. “The mismatch between infrastructure and staffing has pushed the hospital to the brink of dysfunction,” said an official of the hospital wishing anonymity. Established in 1970 as a 50-bed facility, Chuadanga Sadar Hospital was upgraded to a 100-bed hospital in 2003. Yet, the upgrade came without additional staff. In October 2018, then Health Minister Mohammad Nasim inaugurated a new six-storey building with 250 beds, built at a cost of Tk 30 crore. Seven years on, however, the expanded facility remains largely underutilised. While the building stands tall, the workforce to run it effectively is painfully thin. Among the 50 sanctioned posts, 29 are currently vacant, including those of senior eye consultant, senior and junior anaesthesia consultants, senior paediatrician, senior medicine consultant, junior ENT consultant, junior radiologist, medical officer, and dental surgeon, according to the official. Besides, 20 posts across the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades have also been vacant for years. The absence of an anaesthesia consultant has crippled the operation theatre, which has been virtually non-functional since January. Even routine surgeries have been delayed indefinitely, forcing patients to seek treatment elsewhere at higher costs and greater risk. In a stopgap arrangement, Assistant Surgeon Dr ASM Mostafa Kamal from Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex has joined the hospital on deputation. Having completed anaesthesia training, he is temporarily overseeing surgical procedures. But hospital staff and patients alike say this is merely a patch on a widening wound. Newly built Sylhet district hospital set to open after long delay “Even minor surgeries are being delayed due to the lack of an anaesthesia consultant,” said a doctor at the hospital, requesting anonymity. “We are compelled to refer both regular and emergency patients to other facilities, which adds to their expenses and suffering.” For patients and their families, the crisis is personal and painful. “I’ve been admitted for a month,” said Uzir Ali, a patient in the male surgery ward. He went on to say, “The doctor said my operation would be on Monday, but it still hasn’t happened. Even poor people can’t find peace in death.” Parvina Khatun, who has been tending to her mother in the female surgery ward, voiced similar frustration, “My mother’s operation was scheduled last week, but now they say we have to wait longer.” Another patient, Selina Khatun, shared her despair, saying, “I’ve been here for 15 days. They gave a date, then changed it. Now I don’t know when, or if, it’ll ever happen.” Junior Surgery Consultant Dr Ehsanul Haque Tanmoy confirmed that the operation theatre had been almost shut since the anaesthesia consultant was transferred in January. “It reopened on a limited scale in September when an assistant surgeon with anaesthesia training joined us. But this is not sustainable. If both anaesthesia consultant posts were filled, we could run surgeries properly,” he said. The hospital’s Acting Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Wahed Mahmud Robin said the crisis has reached an unbearable point. Doctor shortage cripples healthcare services at Doarabazar Health Complex

The government has promoted 21 bank officials as deputy managing directors (DMD) and posted them in different state-owned banks and financial institutions. According to a notification of the banking wing of the ministry of finance made public on Monday the promoted officials have been serving different state banks and financial institutions as general managers (GM). Read: Bangladesh Bank tops Cyber Drill 2021 The officials are Niranjan Chandra Debnath, GM of Basic Bank, has been promoted as DMD of the bank, Rupali Bank’s GM Mojibur Rahman made DMD to Sonali Bank, Arun Kumar Chowdhury, GM of Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation, made DMD of the same institution. Rupali Bank MG Begum Sanchia Binte Ali has been promoted to DMD of Prabasi Kalyan Bank. Janata Bank’ GM Shahidul Islam made DMD of Palli Sanchay Bank, Chanu Gopal Ghosh, MG of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, promoted as DMD of the bank. GM of Rupali Bank Md. Abdur Rahim, promoted to DMD of Basic Bank, MG of Janata Bank Md. Kamruzzaman Khan promoted as DMD of Sonali Bank. MG of Janata Bank Mahbubur Rahman promoted to DMD of Sonali Bank, GM of Rupali Bank Begum Wahida Begum promoted to DMD of Ansar VDB Unnayan Bank. GM of Janata Bank Md Asaduzzaman, made the DMD of Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, GM of Bangladesh Krishi Bank Mir Mofazzal Hossain, made DMD of the bank, GM of Rupali Bank Shawkat Ali Khan, promoted to DMD of the bank, GM of Janata Bank Md Habibur Rahman Gazi  promoted to DMD of Agrani Bank. Read: Sonali Bank writes off Tk 2,728 crore of Hall-Mark, 19 other defaulters GM of Rupali Bank Khan Iqbal Hossain has been promoted to DMD of the bank, GM of Janata Bank Md Kamrul Ahsan promoted to DMD of Janata Bank, GM of Agrani Bank Md Anwarul Islam promoted DMD of the bank, GM of Rupali Bank Sachindra Nath Samaddar made DMD of Bangladesh Development Bank, GM of Rupali Bank Begum Salman Banu made DMD of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, GM of BASIC bank Abu Md Mofazzel promoted to DMD of the bank and GM of Agrani Bank Md Monirul Islam promoted as DMD of the bank.

A lack of requisite manpower is likely to hamper the scope of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation's operations, that have grown exponentially without a corresponding expansion in the government-mandated workforce for over four decades.

Wildlife Rescue Centre of Lawachhara National Park in Kamalganj of Srimangal upazila is plagued with various  problems, including the shortage of skilled manpower for providing services to injured and sick wild animals.