SIRAJGANJ, June 19: Life-saving medical equipment worth hundreds of crores of taka is lying unused and deteriorating at Sirajganj Medical College Hospital (formerly Shaheed M Monsur Ali Medical College Hospital) due to severe manpower shortage, depriving nearly 3.2 million residents of the district of affordable and advanced healthcare services.
Patients and their families say they are being forced to seek costly treatment outside the district as key diagnostic and critical care units remain non-functional despite the presence of modern equipment.
Hasna Begum, 55, a patient admitted to the CCU from Kamarkhand Upazila, has been advised by doctors to undergo tests outside the hospital, according to her daughter Hafsa.
“There are machines in the hospital, but they are not in use,” she said. “Doctors told us to do the tests outside. It will cost around Tk 30,000 to 40,000, which is impossible for a poor family like ours.”
Similar complaints are common among patients at the facility, sources said.
According to hospital sources, the 10-bed ICU unit has remained non-operational for five years due to a shortage of specialists, despite having installed equipment. As a result, expensive machinery worth crores of taka is at risk of damage due to prolonged inactivity.
The hospital, built in 2014 at a cost of Tk 882 crore as a 500-bed facility, began partial services in 2021. However, several departments remain either incomplete or non-functional.
Although ICU and NICU units equipped with modern ventilators are ready, they remain locked due to a shortage of five specialist doctors. Officials said equipment worth nearly Tk 4 crore, along with computers and other devices, is deteriorating due to disuse.
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) also remains closed.
Although the cardiac care unit (CCU) has been launched, its air-conditioning system has been out of order for the past six months, further hampering services.
A modern CRRM (Closed Manual Reduction) machine worth around Tk 4 crore for orthopaedic surgery remains idle due to the absence of specialist doctors.
In the ophthalmology department, a laser-assisted LASIK machine worth several crores is non-operational due to a lack of technicians. A mammography machine worth Tk 45 lakh has also remained unused for a long time.
An angiogram-related machine installed at a cost of around Tk 7 crore has not been put into operation due to a shortage of skilled personnel. Meanwhile, MRI equipment worth Tk 16 crore, for which funds were deposited with the Health Directorate, has yet to be installed.
Dialysis, cancer and mental health units are also yet to be launched.
The manpower shortage is equally alarming. Of 75 assistant registrar posts, 58 are currently filled. Out of 76 posts in second, third and fourth classes, 47 remain vacant.
Hospital authorities said a proposal for 183 doctors and 73 technical personnel has been sent to the ministry, but approval is still pending.
Local business leader and Sirajganj Chamber of Commerce Director Haji Md Abdus Sattar said the hospital has failed to deliver its intended benefits.
Hospital Deputy Director Md Wadud acknowledged the crisis, saying many machines cannot be operated due to shortage of staff and medicines.
“The ICU and NICU have remained closed from the beginning. Some doctors are irregular, and we are trying to ensure their regular attendance,” he said.
Sirajganj Medical College Hospital Director Dr ATM Nuruzzaman said limited services are being provided with available manpower.
“We are operating some modern equipment with existing staff, but ICU and NICU units cannot be opened due to manpower shortages,” he said.
He added that demand letters for additional manpower have been sent to the ministry, and services will be expanded once approval is received.
