Healthcare centre in remote Sunamganj area lying almost unused for five years

SYLHET, Dec 26: A government-run health facility for female and children has been lying almost unused for over the last five years as no physician has yet been posted there. Even its formal opening couldn't be done due to absence of physicians, depriving thousands of inhabitants of the northern bank of the river Surma at Suanmganj Sadar upazila of healthcare

Locals have demanded immediate functioning of the facility, set up by the government years ago.

Built in 2015 at a cost of Tk 50 million on a 50 decimal-plot of land, the Sakhina Bibi Ma O Shishu Kalyan Kendra couldn't provide the basic facilities to the locality considered a backward habitat, with poor communication links. The locals had sent petitions several occasions and appealed to the government officials as well as the leading people in this regard, but to no effect as yet.

However, Sadar upazila Family Planning Officer Bishwajit Krishna Chakravarty said recently 10 posts including two medical officers, two inspectors and the rest of other helping staff had been created.

Sources informed one nursing attendant and two class four employees were arranged temporarily just for starting the facility somehow in April 2018.

There are 10 beds in the two buildings, but only two are usable. There is no cabin while there has been trouble with the water supply system on the building from the very beginning. Electricity line is there but there is non-provision of solar power system on the government hospital. It is well known that there is no manpower to serve the service-seekers for years.

The centre was built for medical facilities for the female as well as the children mainly alongside others from at least 20 villages of Jahangirnagar and Rangarchar unions of Sunamganj Sadar uapzila.

A number of locals said we had a longstanding requirement of basic health service centre, but still we have to move for the district town or to other places for even petty health problems.

Union Parishad Member Abdul Mannan said the health centre couldn't be even formally inaugurated in five years, since its establishment in the remote area.

Sunamganj Uttar Surma Unnayan Parishad Convener Abdur Rob said we demand immediate posting of medical officers and other staff for starting service in the centre to provide health care to the people of backward area.

Deputy Director, Family Planning, Sunamganj Md. Mozammel Haque said 10 posts had already been created for the centre, but they are yet to be appointed. We are trying to get the posting of the said officials done as soon as possible, he added.

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