The 250-bed General Hospital in Jhenaidah, the district’s main public healthcare facility serving nearly 20 lakh people, is facing acute shortages of manpower and critical medical equipment, raising concerns over patient care and forcing many critically ill patients to seek treatment elsewhere.
Although the hospital was upgraded from 100 beds to 250 in 2021, several key services expected at a district-level hospital remain unavailable. The absence of ICU ventilators and a paediatric intensive care unit has become a major challenge.
Patients with cardiac, neurological and other life-threatening conditions are routinely referred to hospitals in Dhaka, Khulna, Faridpur and Rajshahi.
Asma Khatun, a patient in the gynaecology ward, said doctors usually visit only during morning rounds, while patients often wait hours to receive prescribed medicines.
She alleged that patients who face complications at night often have to wait until the next day to see a doctor.
Patients further alleged that the hospital does not have enough wheelchairs and trolleys. The elevator in the eight-storey building also frequently malfunctions, causing additional hardship.
“When we arrived, there was no doctor in the emergency department. An intern was sitting there. Seeing my mother’s condition, he could not make a decision on his own and repeatedly called the doctor on duty,” said Uzzal Hossain, a patient’s son.
Hospital sources said 89 of the 276 approved posts for doctors and staff remain vacant. Of the 88 consultant posts, only 39 are filled.
The hospital also depends heavily on outsourced and volunteer workers, many of whom receive little or no remuneration.
The facility lacks several essential services and equipment, including digital X-ray, CT scan, endoscopy and physiotherapy devices.
Asked, hospital Superintendent Dr Mustafizur Rahman said, “Among 88 consultant posts, only 39 are filled. With such limited manpower, we are trying to run the district’s main healthcare facility.”
He said shortages of doctors and critical equipment, including ICU ventilators, prevent the hospital from providing the level of care patients need. “In many critical cases, we have no option but to refer patients to other hospitals.”
“We have sent a letter to the Khulna Divisional Director and the Directorate General of Health Services requesting the creation of posts and equipment. If the government fully recruits manpower against the posts and provides the equipment, we will be able to deliver proper service,” he added.
