Kuakata hospital struggles with doctor shortage

For tourists in Kuakata, a serious illness or accident can mean an ordeal, as the coastal town’s lone government-run hospital lacks the manpower needed to provide adequate emergency care.

The Kuakata 20-bed Hospital currently has only two doctors against six sanctioned posts.

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During a recent visit by this correspondent, one doctor was on leave, leaving the other to attend to patients single-handedly.

Under the government’s 2024 Standard Set-up for Hospitals, the facility should have a resident medical officer, junior consultants in medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, and anaesthesiology, alongside medical officers, nurses, midwives and other support staff.

The shortage is particularly concerning for one of the country’s major tourist destinations.

Motaleb Sharif, president of the Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners’ Association, said around 15-20 lakh people visit Kuakata annually. The number can reach around one lakh on a busy day during the peak season between October and March, while hovering around 10,000-20,000 a day during the off-season.

Medical emergencies among visitors range from accidents and fractures to diarrhoea, heart attacks and paralysis, he said.

Sharif recalled a recent incident when a hotel guest was injured late at night and had to be taken to Barishal as no one was available to provide care at the Kuakata hospital. “In such situations, this has always been the reality,” he said, urging authorities to ensure 24-hour availability of doctors and nurses.

Hospital sources said the outpatient department sees around 100-150 patients daily, while another 10-15 seek emergency care. There is no inpatient facility at present, nor a dedicated emergency response team in the town.

The hospital’s manpower crisis has persisted for years, with the facility operating with one or two doctors since 2021, and perhaps longer.

Dr Mohammad Khaledur Rahman Mia, civil surgeon in Patuakhali, said services were being provided with limited resources.

Patients requiring advanced or emergency care are often referred to Kalapara Upazila Health Complex, officially a 50-bed facility where around 85 beds have been arranged to accommodate demand, he added.

The health complex, however, also lacks specialist doctors in different departments, adequate nurses and staff, medicines and equipment, and a functional operation theatre.

A health ministry official, wishing anonymity, said recent appointments were expected to lead to new postings but could not say when additional personnel would be sent to Kuakata.