Taraque Mahmud Joy, Jhenaidah

Cesarean section operations have been closed in five upazila health complexes of Jhenaidah due to doctor shortage.

As this service has been closed for a long time in Maheshpur, Harinakundu, Shailkupa, Kaliganj and Kotchandpur, pregnant women are forced to run to distant private clinics and hospitals.

On the one hand, this increases medical expenses, on the other hand, mothers and newborns are at extreme risk.

It is learnt that cesarean section operations have been closed in Maheshpur Upazila Health Complex for almost a year. The same situation is also in four other upazilas. This crisis has arisen due to the lack of anesthesia specialists and gynecologists.

However, all the equipment including modern operation theaters, oxygen cylinders, saline stands in the hospitals are in usable condition.

Obstetrician Shirin Akhter said, “It used to cost less to go to a government hospital. But now we are forced to go to a distant clinic. Even then, doctors are not always available.”
Farmer Rahmat Ali of Kaliganj expressed his anger and said, “If we cannot get treatment at the government hospital, where will we go? If we do not provide doctors, the poor people will be in more danger.”

Farzana Khatun, a housewife from Harinakundu, said, “It costs at least 25 to 30 thousand taka to go to a clinic. How will the poor people raise this money? Even then, we are forced to go to the clinic.”

In this regard, Jhenaidah Civil Surgeon Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman said, “There are operating equipment in all upazilas. But the shortage of doctors is a big problem. If they are posted quickly, it will be possible to start cesarean sections again.”

According to Health Department, if there were doctors, at least 200 pregnant women would receive government services every month in these five upazila health complexes alone. Poor families are suffering greatly due to the long-term closure of cesarean sections.