RAJBRI, Dec 5: People of 42 unions under five upazilas of the district including the newly formed Kalukhali Upazila are suffering much for lack of proper healthcare services.
According to field sources, the people are deprived of free healthcare services as there is shortage of government healthcare service centres and doctors, and they depend on shamans and village quacks for treatment.
"When the condition of a patient gets serious, we then take him or her to the government hospital in the district or upazila headquarters," said Shajahan Mondal of Horin Bariyer Char under Ratandia Union in Kalukhali Upazila of the district.
According to sources at Civil surgeon (CS) office, a total of 20 doctors, out of 86, who were appointed through 33rd BCS examination and posted at different hospitals and clinics in the district, have refrained from joining their respective workplaces including Kalukhali Upazila Health Complex due to absence of infrastructural facilities.
When contacted, CS Dr Md Rahim Baksh said six out of 16 doctors and some staff are currently providing outdoor services to around hundred patients daily at Kalukhali Upazila Health Complex.
He said, "We have got the building but did not get furniture, ambulance, drug and other facilities till now, so the indoor services could not be started."
As a result, hundreds of patients are being deprived of proper healthcare services in Kalukhali Upazila Health Complex and other healthcare centres.
While visiting different union level health centres at Kalukhali Upazila and union level health sub-centres in five upazilas of the district, it was found that patients were returning home without getting treatment and medicine.
Some of the patients said there is no change of the scenario in the district, upazila and union level healthcare services despite appointing new doctors.
