Personnel crisis grips the 250-bed Tangail General Hospital so much so that its ICU has been shut since July 2024.
The facility treats an average of 350–400 admitted patients every day, alongside around 1,000 outpatients seeking medical support.
Patients arrive from all 12 upazilas of Tangail district and neighbouring regions. However, a significant shortage of doctors and staff means many are not receiving the expected level of care.
Since July 2024, intensive care services have remained suspended due to a manpower crisis.
Only basic tests are available at the hospital, as it lacks essential diagnostic facilities such as CT scan, MRI, hormone tests, culture and histopathology. There are also no consultants for medicine or surgery.
According to the official standard setup, the hospital requires 178 doctors, yet only 44 are currently working.
Besides, patients and their relatives accused that they face regular harassment from brokers operating around the premises.
A patient’s relative, requesting anonymity, complained about harassment by brokers near the emergency entrance.
“They snatch prescriptions from attendants, force them to buy medicines from nearby drug stalls at higher prices, and behave aggressively if anyone objects,” he alleged.
Established in 1974 with 50 beds, Tangail General Hospital was later upgraded to 100 beds and eventually to its current 250-bed capacity.
Of the 44 doctors currently employed, 15 provide outpatient care daily, 4 are posted in the emergency department, and the remaining 25 are allocated to indoor wards.
The hospital has 14 wards in total, including maternity, paediatrics, gynaecology, male and female medicine, male and female surgery, orthopaedics, diarrhoea, ENT, CCU and ICU. The ICU has been non-operational since July. There are four operation theatres including gynaecology, surgery and orthopaedics.
Only 13 cleaners work at the hospital, all outsourced, despite the requirement of 75 staff to maintain proper hygiene.
Although authorities claim food quality for admitted patients has improved, meals cannot be supplied beyond the 250 authorised bed capacity. While the hospital provides medicines from its allocated supply, some patients still report shortages.
Rafiz Uddin, from Hadira village in Gopalpur upazila, was admitted to Ward 6 (medicine) recently.
He was advised to undergo an MRI scan but had to go to a private clinic, spending Tk 7,500, because the test is unavailable at the district hospital.
“If the hospital had advanced testing facilities, patients would suffer less and pay far lower costs than private clinics,” he said.
Tangail General Hospital’s Deputy Director Dr Khandaker Sadikur Rahman, acknowledged the shortcomings.
“We cannot provide the expected standard of treatment due to shortages of doctors and support staff,” he said.
“However, we do ensure appropriate care for those who come to receive treatment. Excess patient pressure remains a persistent challenge,” the deputy director opined.
He added that medicine and food supplies are provided adequately, though strain increases when patient numbers exceed capacity.
“With limited cleaning staff, it is also difficult to maintain proper cleanliness,” he said.
