With most doctors not attending chambers for over three months, patients in Chattogram are being compelled to seek health-related suggestions from staff members at various dispensaries, leading to irrational use of antibiotics which can have adverse health impacts in the long run.

Unless emergency, many are avoiding government hospitals as those are treating Covid-19 patients. Besides, getting admitted to clinics is also quite difficult, they said. Consultants are not visiting the clinics after the outbreak.

Though many physicians started telemedicine services after stopping private practice, it's almost impossible to connect with them over the phone, according to patients.

The lines either stay busy or they remain unavailable, they added.

Amid such circumstances, people are in a way forced to resort to staffers at local dispensaries for their "suggestions".

For example, when 70-year-old Subhash Chowdhury (not his real name) felt sick last week, his family tried to contact consultants over the phone from the numbers provided by Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA). None answered.

Tarit Chowdhury, son of Subhash, said, "Then I went to a pharmacy near our house in Chawkbazar and described the salesperson about my father's condition. He gave some medicines but my father's condition continued to deteriorate."

"On the third day, he lost consciousness. Desperate, we went to three clinics but none admitted him. They checked his temperature and found it to be normal. They also checked oxygen saturation in his blood through 'pulse oxymetre' and found it to be normal."

Tarit said when he asked why they were not admitting his father, the clinic authorities said he would need to undergo treatment under a consultant but at present none were visiting their clinics.

"We were able to admit him to a private clinic on request from a BMA leader. After tests, it was found that electrolytes (essential minerals) in my father's body were not balanced," he said. "If he had received proper treatment in the primary stage, he would not have to suffer so much."

This correspondent spoke to staff members of a number of dispensaries over the week. Wishing anonymity, they said people come to them for medicine and ask about their suggestions all the time. They recommend medicine for issues like common cold and other related symptoms. But for serious issues, people should always seek experts' consultation, they added.

SM Nazer Hossain, central vice president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said, "Many are going through such a difficult situation these days. We urge doctors to resume private practice, ensuring all safety measures to protect themselves. They can limit the number of patients too as a cautionary measure."

Contacted, Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, convener of Public Health Rights Protection Committee, Chattogram, said some doctors are seeing patients at their chambers. "Patients are helpless. That's why they are taking suggestions from salespersons at dispensaries, who are not qualified to do so. Physicians should consider the matter alongside considering their safety," he said.

Wishing anonymity, a former professor of medicine at Chattogram Medical College said over 1,800 doctors have been infected with Covid-19 in the country while treating patients in hospitals. Of them, 64 have died so far.

If doctors start private practice, the number may increase. "Who will treat patients then?" he said.

Contacted, Dr Faisal Iqbal Chowdhury, general secretary of BMA, Chattogram chapter, said BMA too is urging doctors, especially who are young, to resume private practice.

Chattogram Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said, "We can ensure doctors' presence in hospitals but we cannot force them to start private practice."

"We can request doctors to resume practice on a limited scale. I would also urge patients to go to government hospitals for treatment," he said.