Patients are being deprived of essential healthcare services at the 50-bed Sreemangal Upazila Health Complex in Moulvibazar due to an acute shortage of doctors, nurses, and technical staffers.

Although the hospital has 23 sanctioned doctor posts, only 10 doctors are currently in service. On average, the health complex receives around 90 emergency patients, 300 outdoor patients, and 40 admissions daily, according to sources.

The facility is functioning with just one junior consultant and one assistant surgeon against the sanctioned six and seven posts respectively. Several other key positions remain vacant, including those of senior staff nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, statisticians, health assistants, and cleaners.

Medical equipment such as the X-ray machine, ultrasonogram, and ECG are lying non-functional due to the lack of technical support and staff members. As a result, many patients -- even those with minor health issues -- are compelled to travel to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital for treatment.

Due to the ongoing manpower crisis, four deputy assistant community medical officers from Union Health and Family Welfare Centres have been reassigned to the hospital's emergency department, disrupting primary healthcare services at the grassroots level.

A recent visit revealed overcrowded wards for women, children, and men, with no vacant beds available. Long queues were seen outside doctors' chambers, where the deputy assistant community medical officers were offering only basic treatment.

Many patients expressed their frustration. "I have been waiting with my child for two hours. He has an ear problem, but there is no ENT specialist here," said Solaiman Hossain, a local resident.

Husna Begum, a patient, said she had been waiting for more than an hour without being able to consult a doctor. "I'm already ill, and this prolonged wait is making it worse."

Patients also complained about poor sanitation, lack of lighting during power outages, and insufficient medicine supplies.

A senior nurse, said, "We have had no gynaecologist for nearly a month, so we had to suspend C-section surgeries."

A senior staff member of the emergency department added, "We are currently offering only primary care and referring all other patients to Moulvibazar."

Dr Cynthia Tasmin, health and family planning officer of Sreemangal upazila, acknowledged the mounting pressure on the existing workforce. "We have only 10 doctors against 23 approved posts. I've written to the higher authorities requesting urgent recruitment. Once manpower is appointed, service quality will improve," she said.

She said although the hospital has a generator, fuel shortages hinder its use during power outages.