Patients are being deprived of proper treatment at Bogura Chest Disease Hospital (CDH) as there is no doctor for chest disease at the 20-bed hospital for nearly 10 months.

Md Rafiqul Islam, statistician of Rajshahi Divisional Health Office, said there are total eight chest disease hospitals across the country having 20 beds each.

The lone chest disease hospital in Nishindra area of Bogura town was established in 1960, he said.

Civil Surgeon Md Gausul Azim Chowdhury said there are two posts of medical officers, one post of pharmacist, eight posts of nurses, three of assistant nurses, four posts of cleaners and cooks at the CDH.

Except the posts of the medical officers, others are filled up, he said.

During a visit to CDH on June 30, this correspondent found 11 patients admitted to the hospital. But no doctor was seen there.

Mohiuddin, 45, a tuberculosis (TB) patient from Naogaon, said “After admission to the hospital on June 26, only one doctor visited me, but nurses are available.”

Another TB patient Mokbul Hossain from Bogura’s Gabtoli upazila said he got admitted to the hospital three months ago.

Doctor comes only once or twice a week and due to this, it took a long time to recover, he said.

Dr Rabindranath Chandra Mitra, junior consultant of Bogura Chest Disease Clinic, said “I only can visit CDH from my clinic (outdoor section), 5 km off the hospital, once a week. As there’s no doctor at the hospital, I can’t admit any emergency patient.”

Civil Surgeon Gausul Azim said Dr Tanzila Sultana went to Kuwait Moitree Hospital in Dhaka on deputation almost one year ago while another physician Eshanul Kabir was transferred to Naogaon Medical College 10 months ago and since then the hospital has been running without doctors.

As there is no doctor at CDH, they appointed a part-time medical officer from Sadar Upazila Heath Complex who visits the hospital for an hour every day, said Azim.

They informed the higher authorities about the matter several times but to no response yet, he said.

Amena Khatun, a nurse of the hospital, said they are facing a lot of problems for not having any doctors at the hospital.

“Sometimes we can’t treat emergency patients or provide give dead certificate to the patient’s relatives without the signature of doctor,” she said.