Understaffed CMCH

CHITTAGONG Medical College Hospital (CMCH) — one of the largest hospitals in Bangladesh — is running with acute manpower shortage, hampering medicare system there. Why this tertiary level hospital is struggling with huge staff crisis is a big question. It appears that the hospital is not hospitable to the patients like others around the country as mismanagement in almost all hospitals in both urban and rural areas has become visible.

As per a report, 230 full-time doctors and 437 nurses are working in this 1,313-bed hospital, which has to provide service to over 2,500 patients on an average every day. Teachers of the medical college and some postgraduate trainees also serve in the hospital but to operate at full capacity CMCH needs 1,500 doctors. 437 nurses work in three shifts, which means 2,500 patients get only 145 nurses to attend them in each shift. This poor staff provision in such a big public hospital is worrisome. It needs immediate step from authority concerned to relieve the patients from medicare hassle and sufferings. Notably, absence and negligence of doctors and proper treatment often lead to the forlorn death of patients across the country.

According to WHO, one nurse is required for every four patients. But CMCH cannot provide a nurse even for every 15 patients. Besides, over 250 patients get admitted to the orthopaedic ward per day. But the hospital management can deploy only three nurses per shift. More importantly, over the years, the number of beds has increased but the workforce size remains the same. Currently 41 departments are providing services to patients round the clock. Most of the 41 wards do not have any post of consultant. Moreover, the posts of assistant registrar, resident surgeon and physician are vacant.

However, for stop gap arrangement those posts are being managed with the postgraduate trainees. As a result, when the trainings conclude, those posts fall vacant again. At present, around 40 such posts remain vacant. Sources said that medicare services are also hampered to a great extent in CMCH for absence of senior doctors in different wards.

The overall situation of CMCH illustrates the total negligence of authority concerned. It can’t go for long. It needs immediate corrective measures. The Health Ministry cannot ignore the patients who are at life-risk seeking medical reliefs from the public hospitals like CMCH. All public hospitals should have the required workforce to ensure smooth health services delivery system.