People with serious injuries leave Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital without treatment, as the authorities could not install a full-fledged operating theatre (OT), a situation that has lasted for the last 20 years.

"Relatives of such patients wait here until we finally tell them that we are not in a position to treat them. They shift their loved ones to Dhaka Medical College Hospital," said a doctor at the emergency department.

A person grievously injured in an accident on Babubazar Bridge last week was taken to the emergency department and was left on a van for more than an hour before the doctors refused to treat him.

"What are we supposed do if there is no operating theatre?" the doctor asked, blaming the authorities for the situation.

Dr Imtiaz Farroq, a resident surgeon, said doctors perform minor operations but cannot

undertake major surgeries because of the weak infrastructure.

"I joined the department one and a half months ago and I have so far refused to operate on five seriously injured people. This is painful," he said.

Another source blamed the absence of a full-fledged operating theatre on the authorities' neglect. The rickety operating theatre, now in operation, was set up in 1984.

"We cannot perform any major operation here, we have no anaesthesia and diathermy machine, airconditioner and light," the source said, adding the department also lacks staff like anaesthetists.

The casualty department consists of five doctors, three nurses, a cleaner and a ward boy.

Everyday many injured in road accidents, bomb attacks, stabbing and firing are taken to the hospital from Armanitola, Nayabazar, Babubazar, Islampur, Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar and Hajaribagh.

Patients from Keraniganj, Nawabganj and Dohar close to the capital are also brought to the hospital.

A hospital official alleged: "Many workers in other departments do not want to start the OT. They play on the situation and take the injured to other private hospitals and clinics."

"The middlemen get commissions from other hospitals and clinics," he added.

Doctors in the emergency department said it would have been possible to start the OT if an anaesthetist, two doctors, a cleaner and a nurse had worked every shift.

Every day, there are more than 50 patients in the casualty department that has only 18 beds -- 11 formales and the rest for females. Other patients are forced to sleep on the floor because of the shortage of beds.

Contacted, Abul Khayer Bhuiyan, the hospital director, said: "As we are short of manpower we cannot start the OT. We have asked the health ministry for funds.”