Sylhet MAG Osmani Hospital
No move yet to start ICU
Constructed around four years ago, Intensive Care Unit building of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital is yet to be opened for patients due to lack of doctors and other staff and equipment. Photo: STAR
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Casualty Ward at the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital could not be put into operation more than three and a half years into their inauguration. Sources said, construction of the building has been completed but no staff or consultant physician appointed while equipment necessary for those units are yet to reach the government run hospital. Construction of the 4-storey building to house a 10-bed ICU and a 30-bed Casualty Ward for the critically injured and other serious patients was completed in 2006, they said. Built behind the entrance of the emergency department at the main hospital building, it was formally opened by the then finance minister and lawmaker from Sylhet Sadar constituency M Saifur Rahman on 8 October, 2006. Around Tk 10 crore were spent for the total project. The hospital authorities have sent a number of letters to the health ministry asking for providing manpower. Separate letters were also sent to the Central Medical Stores Department (CMSD) for equipment but to no effect. Sources, however, said that on the basis of proposals from the director of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital, the Director (administration), Heath Directorate on May 16 this year requested the ministry to approve 11 posts including that of consultants and registrars for the ICU department and 7 for the casualty department. Assistant Director of the hospital Dr. Ehtesham-Ul Haque Chowdhury told this correspondent that the building is ready for any time use. ''But without manpower, we cannot start operation of the new units. The hospital authorities are already facing much difficulty in managing services as the number of patients are going up every day'', he said.
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