Hospital officials said that the higher authority did not take any initiative to start the OT.

"It looks as if the high official, even doctors, nurses, and ward boys do not want the OT to become operational. If it becomes functional, it means that they have to put in extra effort," said an official in the administrative office.

In 1984 the OT was established in the casualty department to provide services to emergency patients but it could not start full-fledged operations as neither the anaesthesia and diathermy machines, nor were OT lights installed.

Besides, the OT lacks manpower. The casualty department has two assistant registrars and one registrar and two medical officers, but neither has a surgeon nor an anaesthetist been assigned so far.

The emergency patients are sent to different hospitals in the city because of the lack of OT facilities.

"The OT at casualty department could not serve patients with serious injuries. It can provide first aid to a certain extent, so we have to send seriously injured patients to different hospitals," said a doctor at emergency department.

An official of the casualty department said they have sent letters to the authorities, but they somehow seem reluctant to fix the problem.

"If we get the anaesthesia and diathermy machine and the authority assign an anaesthetist, two doctors, one MLSS, one nurse and one sweeper for each shift we can run the OT," said the official.

A number of emergency patients from old parts of Dhaka and from the other side of Buriganga rush to the Mitford Hospital with severe injuries. The doctors said they send the severely injured patients to different hospitals for immediate treatment instead of the OT in casualty department.

Last week relatives rushed one Rahman to Mitford Hospital with a head injury. The doctors of the emergency tried to stop bleeding and then sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) casualty department for further treatment.

"This is the nearest hospital and we know it is one of the best in the city but their standard of service is not satisfactory," said Malek, a relative of Rahman.

The director of the hospital Dr Mahmud Hossain said they are doing their best to make the OT functional.

"I will soon sit with the concerned officials regarding this issue and see how we can make it get started," he said.

Besides, crisis of the essentials in the hospital has been acute in the last five months as the there is no supply of gauge, bandages, bleaching powder, pathology form, gum, finish, phenyl, diet slips, report copies and other items.

Hossain admitted the crisis and said the supply is now becoming normal.

"We have taken some immediate measures to overcome the present crisis that we hope will come to and end in a short time," he said.