Bogura Chest Diseases Hospital: Where 4km separate indoor from outdoor

Since November 2018, the 20-bed Bogura Chest Diseases Hospital has been running with a single doctor. A medical officer, posted to Shibganj Upazila Health Complex, is on duty at the hospital.

He is still studying at Birdem Hospital, Dhaka for a higher degree. When he goes to Dhaka, patients have to depend on nurses.   

The facility was set up in 1961 with 16 positions, including for two physicians. In 60 years, the number of physicians here has not increased.  

Dr Emdadul Haque, who has been attached here from Shibganj, said patients face difficulties due to a shortage of doctors, and another physician is needed here on an emergency basis. 

Earlier, on average, 20-25 patients would be admitted to the hospital. At present, 10 patients from Bogura and Joypurhat are undergoing treatment here, with nurses giving advice to the patients in the doctor's absence.  

Amena Khatun (not real name), a senior nurse at the hospital, said, "If the health of a patient deteriorates in the absence of the doctor, we try to get advice from the doctor over the phone, but he is not always available. Without a doctor's permission, no one can even issue a death certificate if a patient dies here."

The hospital has been running like this years after years.  Now, patients are reluctant to get admission here due to the doctor crisis, said Amena, who has been here for one and a half years.

Furthermore, patients face immense suffering in getting admission here because of the four-kilometre distance between the outdoor (clinic) and indoor (hospital) of the healthcare facility. They have to have approval from the outdoor unit to get admitted to the hospital.

Sources at the Rajshahi Health director's office said there are only three chest diseases hospitals in the division —one each in Rajshahi, Pabna, and Bogura.

Sources at the Bogura Civil Surgeon's office said the lone chest diseases hospital of the district now has 21 posts, with the number of nurses increased to eight from three. The two posts for doctors have remained vacant since 2018 and only a doctor from the Shibganj Upazila Health Complex has been attached here.

Around three years ago in November 2018, physician Ehsanul Haque left the hospital while another physician, Tanjila Sultana, who was posted there, never joined the hospital.

Jasim Uddin, a patient who has been undergoing treatment for the last three months, said, "There is only one doctor. He treats all the patients here and when he is on leave, nurses take care of us."

Goleda Begum, another patient, said, "I got admitted here 12 days ago with breathing complications. The doctor here visits patients every couple of days. After treating them, he leaves the facility and then nurses take care of us."

Mamunur Rashid, a patient from Naogaon town, said he came to Nishidara's Chest Diseases Hospital with chest pain four months ago. He was advised to go to the Chest Diseases Clinic for an admission recommendation. He reached there (four km away) at 1pm but it was closed as the outdoor unit operates till 12 noon only. He had no choice but to go back home that day.

Acknowledging the suffering of patients at the hospital, Moazzem Hossain, who has been working as a pharmacist there for 14 years, said many patients go back from here because of the long distance between chest hospital and clinic. The authorities are aware of this.

"Specialist physicians have been reluctant to be posted or attached to the hospital for the last few years. After being posted here, they get enrolled in different courses and after completing their studies they are transferred to another hospital, so the crisis of doctors does not end," Moazzem added.

The Bogura Chest Diseases Clinic also faces manpower crisis. It has 11 staff against 17 posts, including two consultants. Of them, a medical officer is there as a junior consultant.

Dr Ayesha Siddiqua, who has been on duty here for two years, said this clinic usually provides primary treatment. If necessary, patients are sent to the hospital in Nishidara for admission.

Bogura Civil Surgeon Dr Md Shafiul Azam said the Directorate General of Health Services has been informed about these circumstances. "We wrote to the authorities to appoint a medical officer here. For now, we have attached a medical officer here from the Shibganj health complex. The Chest Diseases Clinic in Thanthania also has one doctor," he added.