Mitford Hospital bedevilled by mismanagement [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Mitford Hospital bedevilled by mismanagement

Local January 07, 2017

Mitford Hospital, also called Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, is bedevilled by irregularities and mismanagement.
Patients said that they were neglected by the once reputed 600-bed government-run hospital in the capital’s Old Town manned by 500 doctors.
Patients from nearby areas like Jinjira, Keraniganj, Jatrabari, Demra who have no other option still go to the Mitford Hospital to seek treatments at its outdoors, the emergency department or even admission in the wards.
Doctors said around 300 patients visit its emergency department some of whom take admission.
The Mitford Hospital no more draws patient crowds as it once did.
During a visit on December 21, New Age found many wards had poor occupancy.
Ahmed Kabir who brought his cousin Tanisha to get her treated for the overdose medicine she had taken were seen waiting outside the emergency medical officer’s chamber.
She was unable to stand due to excruciating stomach pain.
The emergency medical officer was busy with six medical representatives inside his chamber.
Tanisha got entry in the doctor’s chamber only after the medical representatives left.
The presence of medical representatives throughout the hospital could not avoid attention though the rules don’t permit their entry.
The massive casualty ward had only two patients, including day labourer Abdul Kader from Keraniganj, who took admission with serious injuries in his heel six days back.
Kader said no doctor saw him until 10.30 AM on the day though he was scheduled to do it at 8 AM.
He said in last six days he found that the doctors come to the wards at their sweet will without caring to follow any timetable.
Kader said that if he had the option he would have left the hospital.
Neel Komol of Jinjira was groaning in pain in his rectum on a surgery ward bed unattended by doctors for the last 24 hours.
He said he got admitted with piles one day back and that a doctor visited him 24 hours ago.
He said no one could tell him when a surgery would take place to remove the piles.
The relatives of Abdul Motaleb, 42, was seen anxiously waiting outside a medicine ward in which he was admitted with chest pain.
His son said, ‘Doctors just come and go but never listened to him to know his problems.’
He said that the patients were not given free medicines as the hospital was required.
‘Hospital staff always ask the patients to buy medicines’, he said.
After 1 PM no tickets are sold to patients for treatment in the outdoor though it should close at 2.30 PM.
The outdoor with 23 departments, manned by 50 doctors, theoretically opens at 8 AM six days a week.
During a visit on Dec2ember 21, New Age found doctors turning up after 9 AM and some of them even after 10 AM.
The doctors’ cubicles at medicine department of the outdoor was locked at 9.30 AM with many patients waiting in queues to consult them.
Mujibur Rahman, a patient from Dhalpur, Jatrabari, said at 9 AM that he was waiting with his sister for two hours but no doctor was available to see her.
But scores of medical representatives, not supposed to get entry, made their presence felt at the outdoor.
A medical representative of Drug International, who did not disclose his name, said at least 20 of his colleagues were around the outdoor to motivate doctors to prescribe medicines produced by their firm.
‘Each of us meet at least 12 doctors at Mitford every day’, he said.
Security guards – Samiul and Rakib – were seen requesting the medical representatives to stay outside the outdoor.
But by presenting small gifts like vitamin tablets, perfumed oil bottles, toothpaste tubes, shampoo, pens and writing pads the medical representatives secured entry.
Medical representatives were seen spending busy time with doctors, keeping the patients waiting outside their cubicles.
Medical representatives were also seen checking patients’ prescriptions to find out the medicines they were prescribed.
The unclean and smelly toilets were unfit for use. Foul odour permeated throughout the hospital’s dark alleys.
As soon as inquiring reporters reveal their identity doctors and other staff ask them to get permission before entering the hospital.
Director of the hospital Brigadier General Brayan Bankim Halder dismissed all the allegations but admitted that the doctors at times arrived late due to the traffic jams in the Old Town.
He said that no medical representative can enter the hospital before 2PM.
When told that the medical representatives were seen in the hospital since the morning, Brayan said, ‘What can we do? After all they have to do business.’.
Asked why the outdoor’s ticket counter closes at 1PM, he said that this done to allow the doctors to leave at 2.30PM.
He refuted the allegation that the doctors seldom attend to their patients either in the outdoor or in the wards.
He said the hospital was manned by enough number of doctors and that they never neglect their duties.
Brayan said that due to shortage of cleaners it was difficult to keep dilapidated hospital buildings clean.