Tangail hospital crippled by manpower crisis

The 250-bed General Hospital in Tangail has been struggling to provide adequate healthcare services due to a severe shortage of doctors and other staff.

The Intensive Care Unit has remained closed since July 2024 for want of manpower.

Although the hospital conducts some basic tests, crucial ones such as CT scan, MRI, hormone test, culture and histopathology are not available due to a lack of necessary equipment.

According to the office of the hospital's deputy director, an average of 350 to 400 patients is admitted every day, while around 1,000 others visit the outdoor section for treatment.

Patients from 12 upazilas of the district and nearby areas depend on the hospital for medical services.

However, with only 44 doctors against a required 178, patients are not receiving the expected level of care.

Of the 44 doctors, 15 attend to patients in the outpatient department each day, four are on duty in the emergency department, and 25 serve in the indoor wards. There is also no consultant in medicine and surgery prostate.

Established in 1974 with 50 beds, the hospital was later expanded to 100 and then to 250 beds.

The hospital has only 13 cleaning staff, all working under an outsourcing arrangement, though 75 are needed.

Recently, Rafiz Uddin from Hadira village in Gopalpur upazila was admitted to Ward-6 of the medicine department. His doctor advised an MRI of the brain, but as the hospital lacks MRI facilities, he had to undergo the test at a private hospital for Tk 7,500.

"If this hospital had advanced testing facilities, patients would suffer less and could get tests done at a lower cost," he said.

Dr Khandaker Sadiqur Rahman, deputy director of the hospital, said due to a shortage of doctors and support staff, it is difficult to provide the expected level of service.

However, patients who come for treatment do receive necessary and appropriate care, he said.

He said the hospital faces constant pressure as it accommodates more than its 250-bed capacity. Medicines and food are supplied adequately, but when patient numbers are high, services become rushed.

"If the government provides sufficient manpower, it will be possible to deliver the expected services," he said.

Contacted, Dr Farazi Muhammad Mahbubul Alam Manju, civil surgeon of Tangail, said the hospital supervisor had already informed the higher authorities about the matter as per his jurisdiction. "We have also asked for a list… We will inform the ministry once we receive it," he said.