<i>Union health centres in bad health</i>
The appearance of Patadah heath sub-centre in Adarvita union under Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur district remains as repulsive as its service due to unavailability of doctors and medicines.Photo: STAR
Health service in Madarganj upazila under the district is limping as the union-level health sub centres utterly fail to provide proper treatment to a large number of patients, especially those living far away from the upazila headquarters, due to lack of doctors and infrastructures. Despite the health department's provision for a health sub-centre in each union, there is no establishment for the purpose, let alone doctors and other employees, in Balijuri, Koroichura and Jurkhali unions, Madarganj upazila health complex sources said. Three health sub-centres -- Muslemabad in Gunaritola union, Patadah in Adarvita union and Teghoria in Charpakerdah have establishments, but they are running without medical officers and adequate supply of necessary medicine. Only Shidholi union health sub-centre in the upazila has a working medical officer. Earlier Dr Shahadat Hossain and Dr Fatema Islam were posted as medical officers of Patadah and Muslemabad health sub centres but Dr Shahadat Hossain is now in deputation in the upazila health complex while Dr Fatema Islam in undergoing FCPS course at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Hospital in the capital, upazila health complex sources said. During a recent visit to Patadah health sub-centre, this correspondent saw a medical assistant sitting in a corner of a dirty, shabby, unhygienic and dark room, checking up patients and prescribing them. “We can't open the windows as they are broken and have been fixed for safety. The medical officer of this health sub-centre has remained in deputation as resident medical officer (in-charge) at Madarganj upazila health complex. Medicine supply from the upazila health complex is poor," said Rakibul Islam, the medical assistant. "Around one hundred patients, most of them women and children, daily come to this centre with various health problems but we cannot give them proper treatment. The higher authorities concerned seem too reluctant about the matter," he said. Talking to this correspondent, several patients including Abdul Hamid Mandol, 80, Lazzaton, 70, Anguri Begum, 50, of Patadah village said they have to depend on the health sub centre for treatment as they are poor and living far away from the upazila health complex. But they fall in trouble especially in case of major health problems as the medical officer is not available at the centre and necessary medicines are not provided from there. About 70 thousand people of 15 villages of Adarvita union, who mostly depend on health services from the sub centre, are suffering due to the situation, said locals. When asked if the vacant posts at union health sub centres would be filled and infrastructure built in three unions, Civil Surgeon Narayan Chandra Dey said, “We have recently written to the higher authority to appoint doctors for the vacant posts. District health engineering department is preparing plans for construction of the infrastructures of health sub-centres."
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