RANGPUR. Apr 3 : Six hundred-bed Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH). the biggest medical Institition In greater Rangpur and Dina-jpur zones is now hostage in hands of the leaders of hospital employees.
Now they are practically running the hospital at their own whim. Every day hundreds of ailing persons are rushing at the door steps of RMCH. but they are allegedly facing great sufferings Stealing of medicines from the store rooms of the hospital is a regular feature. No effective measure has so far been taken against the culprits. This has encouraged the thieves to steal medicines worth Taka one crore during the last 10 years. Alleged misappropriation of funds worth Taka 33 lakh has been detected from the sale proceeds of tickets. cabine and ward rents. X-ray. urine, stool and blood tests.
The hospital remains Jam packed beyond its capacity. Everyday at least 200 to 250 extra patients are being admitted in different wards, it is widely alleged. The extra patients have to do flooring in absence of proper accommodation. All the beds remain filled-up most of the time.
Meanwhile, everyday 300 to 500 patients rush to the outdoor wing for treatment. Besides, over 100 patients usually come to the emergency ward everyday. But it is most painful that such huge number of ailing patients who throng at the doorstep of RMCH from remote places across the region are being deprived of treatment, the victims alleged.
Different important wards
here are not well-equipped and those are running short of required amenities for along time. Condition of the emergency ward is beyond expression as it lacks proper ameni-ties, alleged patients. Relatives of patients have to dragon with their ailing patients for days together without treatment. There are two ward boys for carrying patients to the emergency wards. They remain busy always inside the ward in other works, told one spokesman of RMCH. There is a broken wheel chair, two semi-damaged stretchers in the emergency* ward. There is no orthopaedic in the surgical department.
Moreover, bandage, gauge and cottons and others are hardly available there.
The radiology- department is running without X-ray film as the government is not supplying the same since December last. The X-ray machines are out-dated and never function well. These machines were used in the United States during the Second World War. There is a lone ECG machine which is totally inadequate to cope with the growing demand of the hospital.
Thyroid hormone study cannot be possible in the Nuclear Medicine Department of the hospital due to lack of required amenities. Thyroid affected patients are compelled to go to Dinajpur for this test by spending a huge amount of money and facing hazards.
A Cobalt machine imported from China in 1994 at a cost of Taka 3 crore and 50 lakh has now become unfit for use. It has not yet been installed, but before its installation it was
found almost completely invalid due to negligence since 1994. The machine was imported by the government and sent to RMCH for installation in its Radio-Therapy Department for cancer treatment.
The sanitation system here is totally hopeless as most of the wards, toilets, latrines and beds remain unclean. There are 189 safety tanks in RMCH, out of which 158 have no cover. All the drains and open spaces in the backward of the hospital are filled up with wastes and night soil. Those overflow from the safety tanks emitting bad smells around the hospital campus causing great inconvenience to patients and visitors.
Most of the lifts are open having no doors. Patients and their attendants and others use It risking life.
The hospital Is running short of doctors. At present there are 122 doctors. The post of 24 professors, out of 27 are now vacant. The post of the Nurses’ Super is lying vacant since the inception of the hospital. deputy superintendent of RMCH told.
The hospital was renovated about two years back, but due to faulty works it requires renovation again.
All the eight units at the out-ddor wing of the hospital patients are not getting proper medicare service. Hundreds of patients coming from remote areas across the region have been subjected to harassment.
When contacted with the RMCH director, he told The Daily Star that he had been trying his level best to render required medi-care service to the ailing patients despite all odds.