Syed Shemul Parvez :
Around 2500 patients visit the out Patient Department (OPD) of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital everyday, which means around 500 patients in every hour as outdoor service is given only five hours daily.
Meanwhile, insufficient doctors in generally have to face such a big number of patients in this hospital everyday which is one of the main reasons for patient’s sufferings.
Scarcity of medical staffs and technicians also fuels the sufferings of patients, sources said.
According to the patients, the suffering begins at the ticket counter when the patients usually maintain the line for taking tickets at the Outdoor Department in the morning.
On Monday, it was seen on the spot that an 80 years old man suddenly fell on the ground of surgery section of Outdoor Department around 1pm while he had been waiting in a line for doctor about four hours since the morning.
After the incident, others patients protested over the issue.
Requesting not to be named, a patient told The New Nation that they were regular patients of DMCH. ”We used to see the very common thing that doctors come to the outdoor lately every day but huge number of patients come to the outdoor department before 8 am.”
Before arrival of the doctors, a group of patients fulfilled the premise of the department. After arriving doctors at the room, patients were called gradually and that is why many patients have to wait minimum 3 hours to 5 hours, he said.
Another patient claimed that whenever they visit outdoor doctor, they see that after examining few patients , doctors take tea break for half an hour to even one hour daily.
Even it is widely known that doctors are not present in the duty rooms due to so-called important meetings. In the name of meeting, doctors also take 40 minutes to 1 hour, victim patient said.
As the number of physicians is insufficient, so it has created intolerable sufferings for the patients especially for the elderly patients, he added.
Besides, at the entrance of surgery section where patients names are registered, there are two sections; one for male and another for female patients. But it was seen that only one staff was fighting to tackle the situation what was impossible too.
Many patients also demanded that as huge number of patients arrived at the outdoor department every day since morning, but services are provided to a section of people who introduced themselves as hospital staffs. For which severer sufferings create for the general patients.
Due to providing staff’s services, chaos occur everyday in the outdoor section, some patients alleged.
Mohammad Nazmul Haque, Director of Dhaka Medical College & Hospital (DMCH), couldn’t be reached despite repeated calls last night.
