Staff Reporter, Sylhet //

Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital is the largest institution for the treatment of low-income people in Sylhet division.

Established in 1962, the hospital started its journey with 300 beds. Due to the increasing demand of the general public, the number of beds in the hospital was increased to 500 in 1978 and 900 in 1998. Even though the number of beds has increased, the human service has not increased!

Over time, Osmani Hospital has become a hospital that patients fear.

It is known that this hospital is providing medical services in 36 departments with 450 doctors and about 1,100 nurses.

Although it is a government hospital, it costs more money than private hospitals. From emergency department tickets to operations, money has to be paid step by step. No work is done without money. Therefore, even though it is a government hospital in name, patients without money become helpless.

Patients from different districts and upazilas of Sylhet division come to Osmani Medical College Hospital for low-cost treatment. But after being admitted to the hospital, their idea changed. The reason for this is that everything provided by the government in this hospital is a game of money.

The first step at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital is to admit the patient. Where the rules of other countries are to admit the patient first and then fulfill the hospital’s rules and regulations, at Sylhet Osmani Hospital, the patient must be taken to the emergency department as soon as he is taken. Otherwise, the patient will not be admitted. When you go to take the ticket, the question will start: will you admit the patient or show him to the outpatient department?

It is known from various sources that if the patient has to be admitted, you have to pay 20 taka, although the price of the ticket is written as 10 taka. After taking the ticket, if the patient is taken to the ward in a wheelchair, it will cost 100-150 taka, and if the patient’s condition is bad, if he is taken to the ward by trolley, it will cost 200 to 300 taka. But the division does not end even after reaching the ward.

After taking the patient to the ward, if more than one person enters with the patient, they will have to pay 20-50 taka per person, if they take a bed, they will have to pay 100 taka or they will have to stay on the floor with the patient. The patient is admitted. Now it is the doctor’s turn. The doctor will come and see the patient, then the dreaded examination will begin.

First, at least 5-6 tests, 1 bag of saline and some medicine. Saline and medicine will continue until the test report comes.

It is not over now, after the report comes, the senior doctor will come and see him and give another test. After that report comes, your fate will be decided. Along with that, there are medicines from different companies. There are also percentages in prescribing medicines from those companies.

In this way, when your pocket is empty after changing doctors and reports every 2-3 days, you will have no choice but to turn to others for money.

On the other hand, you have to count the money every time you go to the wheelchair or trolley for the examination. If you don’t pay 100-150 rupees, you have to walk with the patient.

Also, when you come to meet the patient, you have to please the gatekeeper. Otherwise, you are helpless in the eyes of the hospital rules.

If your patient needs an operation, you have to buy medicine worth 6000 to 7000 rupees in advance and give it to the doctor. Which is non-refundable, but refundable to them! After the operation, those medicines go back to the pharmacy. And the cost of the medicine goes to the doctor’s babus.

If the operation is done well, then you have to please the operation theater boy. You have to please the gatekeeper. And you have to buy medicine for dressing and eating every day.

The patient is healthy, now it’s time to release. There is also a game of money there, keeping the nurse happy, the gatekeeper happy, the ward boy happy means everyone has to leave the hospital in a hurry.

And if the patient dies in the operation, then the money and the people are all gone. Then you have to leave the hospital singing that song:-

Money is all dirt, now you have a begging bowl in your hand.

Despite so many complaints against Osmani Hospital, the hospital authorities remain silent. After last August 5, there was hope in the hearts of Sylhet residents that maybe now the helpless poor patients will get good treatment and facilities.

But as the saying goes, a dog’s tail is never straight. Similarly, a broker is never good. On the contrary, recently, crime has increased twice as much as before in Sylhet Osmani Hospital.

On condition of anonymity, the brother of a patient from Sunamganj said that he has been lying on the hospital floor with the patient for 3 days. No bed is provided.

He said that if you give money to the ward boy, he will give you a bed. But the bed is empty. He said, my patient is lying on the floor because he did not give money.

Kamruzzaman of Bishwanath said that he has also been in the hospital with a patient for a few days now. He got a bed for 300 taka, that too after staying on the floor with the patient for 2 days.

Khadija Begum of Osmaninagar came with her daughter, she said, it cost 350 taka to bring my daughter to the ward. Now there is no bed. If you go to get a bed, you will have to pay 200 taka.

Shafiq Mia of Khadim Nagar area of ​​​​Sylhet suburb has brought his father-in-law to Osmani Hospital for treatment.

He said, starting from tickets to operations, they have to pay money. If you have money here, you will get everything or you will suffer.

Visiting different wards of the hospital, only money games were seen. When journalists tried to talk to some ward boys and nurses about this, they turned away after knowing their identities.

However, some brave ward boys said, there is no point in publishing these news. No one will take any action against us.

When asked about the reason, it was revealed that if we protest against them, they call for a strike and embarrass the hospital authorities.

If any complaint is raised against the doctors, they either neglect the treatment of the patient or create a stir by protesting. In short, everyone is hostage to them.

In this regard, the victims demand that a proper investigation should be carried out and those involved in these acts should be brought under the law.

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