Trauma centre limps for want of staffs, logistics
This impressive building of Trauma Centre on the premises of Tangail General Hospital is yet to start functioning, one and a half years after completion of its construction, due to lack of manpower and logistics.Photo: STAR
Accident victims are deprived of proper treatment as the three-storied trauma centre on the premises of Tangail General Hospital has not been made functional during the last one year and a half years due to lack of manpower and logistics. With increase of vehicular movement after construction of the Bangabandhu Bridge, Tangail district saw more frequent road accidents and the need for a trauma centre was felt all the more. The health directorate decided to construct the trauma centre and work for its construction started in 2008-2009 fiscal year, said sources at Tangail Civil Surgeon's Office. After constructing the trauma centre at a cost of Tk 3 crore 22 lakh 56 thousand, Public Works Department in Tangail handed it over the Directorate of Health on June 2 last year. But despite having all infrastructures including an emergency ward, an operation theatre, a pathological laboratory and a 20-bed ward, the trauma centre could not start functioning during the last 18 months as no posts of physicians, nurses and technicians have been created for the purpose, sources in the health directorate said. During a visit a couple of days ago, this correspondent found the main gate of the trauma centre locked while the floor inside remained covered with dust. Accident victims including the critically injured ones have to be kept on the floor and at the veranda of the 250-bed Tangail General Hospital as there is lack of sufficient beds, said several physicians of the hospital. The problem mounts when quite a few accident victims are brought to the hospital at a time, they added. Contacted, Tangail Civil Surgeon Mohammad Nazrul Islam said, "On several occasions, letters were sent to the Directorate of Health to make the trauma centre functional. We also sent a proposal to start treatment at the centre by bringing manpower including physicians from the local level on deputation. But the proposal was not approved." Making the trauma centre functional is urgently needed in the accident prone Tangail district, said Dr Shahidullah Kaiser, general secretary of Tangail district unit of Bangladesh Medical Association.
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