X-ray machines at most Feni govt hospitals unused for years
X-ray machines at different government hospitals in Feni are lying unused for years due to a shortage of skilled manpower.
Among the hospitals and health centres in Feni, only Feni General Hospital and Chhagalnaiya Upazila Health Complex have functioning X-ray machines. Machines worth millions of taka have even not been unboxed in the district’s Sonagazi, Fulgazi, Parshuram and Daganbhuiyan upazila health complexes.
Besides, it has been 15 years since the 20-bed Trauma Centre and Chest Disease Hospital in Feni’s Mahipal used an X-ray machine last time.
Health officials said that although the government had provided two X-ray machines with capacities of 300MA and 500MA to Fulgazi Upazila Health Complex in 2016 and 2019, respectively, patients are yet to get the health examination facility.
We haven’t used X-ray machines since 2013. Although we received a 500MA X-ray machine on 2 March, 2021, it hasn’t been taken out of the box yet due to a shortage of skilled personnel
The same thing happened at Parshuram Upazila Health Complex. The X-ray machine of this health centre malfunctioned in 2016. Instead of repairing it, the government provided a new X-ray machine with a capacity of 500MA on 9 September, 2019, which has been lying unboxed since then as the health complex didn’t find anyone who could install and operate the machine.
The story is almost same in Daganbhuiyan upazila of the district.
“We haven’t used X-ray machines since 2013. Although we received a 500MA X-ray machine on 2 March, 2021, it hasn’t been taken out of the box yet due to a shortage of skilled personnel,” said Tauhidul Islam, Daganbhuiyan upazila health officer.
Mahbub Alam, lab technologist at Sonagazi upazila health complex, said that two X-ray technologists had joined the complex in 2007 and 2013.
“But they were transferred to another health complex after the X-ray machine of our health complex went out of order,” Mahbub added.
Rafiq us-Salehin, civil surgeon of Feni, said that X-ray services can’t be provided to patients without recruiting skilled operators and technologists.
“Recruitment of manpower to operate and maintain X-ray machines is currently underway. A company named 3I Merchandise supplies X-ray machines in Feni. We’ve asked them time and again to teach our health workers how to operate an X-ray machine, which they never did,” said Rafiq.