Medicare facilities may be severely hampered in Barisal during Eid- holiday, unofficially started from Friday, and will continue at least for next 10-day as most of the manpower started enjoying Eid-leave from Thursday afternoon.
Private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers in the city also went under vacation mood.
On other hand, general people and businessmen, especially the Eid shopkeepers and shoppers would also be sufferer due to closure of banks and regular disruption on ATM services during the holidays.
Barisal Sher E Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH), the biggest and only specialized health service providers in the region, sources said only a handful of physicians and staffs assigned for the total duty during 10-day long Eid vacation and will severely suffer the patients.
It is learnt that at least 508 (70 percent) out of 724 doctors and nurses of Barisal SBMCH started going out of station on Eid vacation.
At least 154 out of 189 intern doctors, the main working forces of the hospital, 67 out of 92 registers, assistant registers, 4 out of 6 emergency, 15 out of 24 indoor and outdoor medical officers and 268 out of 413 staff nurses, of hospital started enjoying Eid vacation.
The rest 35 intern doctors, 25 registers, assistant registers, 2 emergency, 9 indoor and outdoor medical officers and 145 staff nurses, assigned to perform duties during Eid vacation, said S M Dr. Sirajul Islam, director SBMCH.
“Normally average 1200-1400 patients went under indoor treatments at this 500 bed hospital per day. But the number of admitted patients during Eid holidays expected to be average 500- 600. On Thursday numbers of admitted patients in SBMCH were 627. Most of the patients, except delivery, surgery and orthopedics wards already left the hospital, SBMCH hospital sources informed.
So shortage of manpower would not have much effect as patient pressure also reduced during Eid- vacation, and fewer doctors and nurses could manage the emergency cases, the hospital official explained.
“We cannot deny the right to leave on Eid festival vacation and doctors and nurses of other religion and city residents would be available for service, said director at SBMCH.
In upazila level only 20 out of 122 doctors will perform duties in public health complex, hospital, clinics as others will enjoy leave during Eid vacation in 10 upazilas of Barisal district.
“The upazila level clinics and hospitals have made some special but very limited arrangements to offer health services and usually refer the patients to district and divisional level hospitals, acknowledged Dr. AMM Sharfuddin, district civil surgeon.
SBMCH authorities started to release a huge number of patients before long holidays, although they are not fully cured, to handle fewer patients during vacation as most of the doctors and nurses usually on leave, said Anowar Zahid, health right activist.
On other hand after visiting different ATM booths of the both public and private banks it was found that many ATM booths often went out of cash or went out of network and remained closed as responsible officials of the banks were not available.
Almost all businessmen of the city in tension with huge cash money collected from sales till the Eid-day said Saidur Rahman Rintu, president Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
Nurul Alam Kazi, general manager Bangladesh Bank Barisal Branch, said all public and private banks asked to take necessary steps for deposit and withdrawal of cashes of customers and ensure undisrupted ATM and mobile banking facilities to face Eid- rush.
