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Most of the state and private-owned hospitals in Patuakhali are in a shambles due to manifold problems, depriving the patients of proper treatment facilities.
   Shortage of physicians in the hospitals, mushrooming of private clinics and lack of adequate government attention has kept health services in the district almost fragile.
   Sources at the Patuakhali Civil Surgeon’s Office said that only four posts of senior consultant have so far been created for the entire district but all the posts still remain vacant. Of around 52 posts of medical officers in the district, 27 are still vacant.
   Patuakhali General Hospital and other health complexes in the district are unable to cope with the increasing number of patients who crowd the medical centres for treatment everyday.
   According to the records available, more than 500 patients come to the Patuakhali General Hospital daily.
   Only a few of them get treatment for want of doctors in the outdoor wards, said a senior medical officer of the hospital.
   He added that only five outdoor doctors including two gynecology and pediatric consultants provide treatment to around 500 patients daily.
   He also informed New Age that there was no consultant of surgery, medicine and orthopedic in the district’s public hospitals.
   According to records found in the Civil Surgeon’s office, three of the four posts of residential medical officers are vacant in the state-owned hospitals while all the 10 posts of health inspectors also remain vacant.
   Of the 141 posts of health assistant, 57 are vacant while out of 42 posts of medical assistant, 20 are vacant in the hospitals.
   Besides, about 19 private clinics have grown in the district. Of them, seven are registered. All these clinics keep agents engaged at Patuakhali General Hospital, Tuberculosis Clinic and the upazila health complexes to lure patients with promises of ‘better treatment’.
   During a recent visit to Patuakhali General Hospital, some such agents admitted to this correspondent that they were paid for luring patients to the private clinics.
   While visiting several such clinics, some patients complained that they spent a lot of money for so many diagnostic tests, which seemed unnecessary. But they did not get any proper treatment.
   ‘These clinics have no ethics. They do business cashing in on sufferings of the patients,’ a physician of a leading private-owned clinic in the town said on condition of anonymity.
   He further said that there were scores of allegations against these clinics- including malpractice, wrong treatment and wrong diagnosis.
   Operation theatres (OTs) and post-operative rooms of these clinics are also in sordid state, he added.
   The number of unregistered clinics is also increasing in the town thanks to the lax monitoring by the authorities concerned.
   These clinics have no permanent doctors and trained nurses. These are not even properly equipped with instruments.
   When contacted, Civil Surgeon Dr Humayun Kabir admitting all these problems said, ‘I am continuing efforts to improve condition of the health services in the district, but more government attention is needed.’

Two persons were given different jail terms in two separate killing cases in Faridpur and Tangail on Tuesday, our district correspondents have reported.
   In Faridpur, a court sentenced a man to seven years rigorous imprisonment for killing a woman by throwing acid.
   District and sessions judge AKM Shirazul Islam also fined the convict, Monirul Shardar, 30, of village Bolivadradi under Shalta upazila of the district, Tk 10,000, in default to serve one year more in jail.
   The court also acquitted four persons of the case as the prosecution failed to prove their guilt.
   According to the prosecution, Monirul threw acid at one Farida Begum, 25, on May 2, 2008. She died after being taken to a hospital.
   District and sessions judge Md Aminul Islam handed down the verdict against Surman Ali Shekh, 45, of village Barutia under sadar upazila.
   According to the prosecution, Surman Ali killed his wife Begum on July 31, 2006 over family feud.

At least five persons were killed in separate road accidents in Tangail and Khulna in on Wednesday.
   In Tangail, three persons were killed in on the Dhaka-Jamuna Highway at Shuvolla of Mirzapur upazila.
   Of the deceased two persons were identified as Ratan, 45, of Bhola and Monir, 40, of Barisal.
   Officer-in-charge of Mirzapur police station Md Habibullah said a Bogra-bound bus collided head-on with a Dhaka-bound private car. The three died on the spot. After the accident, driver and helper of the bus managed to flee away with the bus.
   A case was filed with the Mirzapur police station.
   In Khulna, two persons were killed and 20 others on the Khulna-Jessore Highway near Eastern Jute Mill gate under Khanjahan Ali police station.
   The deceased were identified as Hajari Mandal, 65 and Md Murad, 35.
   According to the police, a Jessore-bound car collided head-on with a Khulna bound bus leaving the two dead on the spot and injuring 20 others.
   Local people rescued the injured and sent them to the Jahanabad Cantonment Hospital.
   In Lalmonirhat, a day laborer woman was killed in a road accident on the Lalmonirhat-Burumari Highway at village Kaliganj under Kaliganj upazila Tuesday night.
   The deceased was identified as Sahera Khatun, 28, wife of Uzir Ali.
   Witnesses said a bus coming from Patgram hit the woman when she was crossing the road. She died on the spot.