The main reasons behind mismanagement at the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital are lack of accountability and poor supervision, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said on Sunday.
He made the remarks during a surprise visit to the hospital in the morning. State Minister for Health MA Muhith was also present there.
Both ministers inspected different departments of the hospital and spoke with patients and their relatives. They spent about one and a half hours there.
However, the patients’ relatives raised complaints about medical services, food quality, and overall management.
While speaking to journalists, the health minister said, “Officials responsible for the hospital’s overall management are showing inefficiency, which is turning small problems into bigger ones.”
As an example, he mentioned that although a ticketing machine exists, patients are forced to stand in long queues because toner was not available. He said, “Such problems could have been solved earlier with proper measures.”
The minister also noted complaints about the food quality and said that although meals are provided as scheduled, the bananas supplied are of poor quality and there may be irregularities in distribution.
He further mentioned complaints about bedbug infestations in hospital beds, calling it an inhumane situation for patients.
Minister Sakhawat also expressed dissatisfaction over doctors’ attendance as well. He said the hospital’s management could not immediately provide information on how many doctors were absent. He will make another surprise visit next week to monitor the situation, the minister confirmed.
“Given the country’s large population, hospitals will face patient pressure. But with sincerity from those responsible, many of these problems should not exist,” he said.
State Minister Muhith said, “Despite being the country’s top institution, the National Institute of Mental Health suffers from a leadership crisis along with mismanagement.”
Meanwhile, the hospital’s director, Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, admitted to most of the complaints.
The health minister assured that the problems would be resolved quickly, saying “This hospital must be more humane than all other hospitals.”
