Despite having all the facilities and equipment, the operation theater of Nalchiti Upazila Health Complex of Jhalkathi district has been closed for almost a century only due to lack of expert surgeons. As a result, there is a fear that the upazila residents will be deprived of health services as well as the valuable equipment and goods of the theater will become unusable. On Sunday (March 19), a visit to the Nalchiti Upazila Health Complex saw that several rooms related to the operation theater were locked and the main room was being vaccinated against Covid-19. All operations, including Emergency Obstetric Services (EMOC), are closed. In this, the suffering of the common people of the upazila has reached the extreme. Mothers in labor suffer endless suffering, including the risk of death. As a result, they have to take treatment in various private clinics through extra money. It is known that if the emergency maternity service center was open, the pregnant mothers could have received medical care safely without cost. 20 to 25 caesarean operations per month could be easily performed. The emergency maternity service center of Nalchiti health complex of Jhalkathi district was the only hope of free caesarean operation for helpless, poor patients at the upazila level. According to the hospital, expert surgeon Dr. Md. After the transfer of Mahbubur Rahman and Anesthesia (Unconscious) Doctor in July 2009, no Specialist Surgeon and Anesthesia Doctor has been posted here till now. As a result, due to lack of expert surgeons and anesthesia doctors, all types of operations including emergency obstetric services of Nalchithi Health Complex have been closed for a long time. In this situation, the pregnant women who need cesarean operation have to be taken to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. Again in the clinics they have to pay 20 to 30 thousand taka including surgeon’s operation charge, medicine and clinic rent. In this situation, pregnant women from poor families, knowing about the abnormal delivery, are admitted to this hospital with the risk of relying on luck. If the doctors and nurses fail to deliver a normal delivery, the relatives are forced to borrow money to save the life of the mother and the child as there is no expert surgeon. Taking that risk, Sohel Hawladar of Nandicathi village of the upazila lost his newborn son. There are also examples of mothers who have died on the way. Residents have demanded to start all operation activities including emergency maternity services by posting specialist surgeons (gynecological operations) at Nalchiti Health Complex on an urgent basis. In this regard, the Jhalakathi Civil Surgeon was presented several times on behalf of the local residents. In this regard, Jasim Howladar, a local resident, said that it is absolutely necessary to re-open emergency obstetric services including operation theater operations. Due to the closure of this service, the local people are not only wasting their money but also the mothers are losing their lives and are suffering from various sufferings. Upazila Health PP Officer Dr. Shiuli Parveen admitted that all types of operation activities including emergency obstetric services are closed and he said that no one else can provide those services except expert surgeons. Due to not being able to perform caesarean operation, the pregnant women of the area are suffering. As there were no specialist surgeons including general surgeon, gynecological surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, I informed the higher authorities about this in writing only after joining here. Jhalkathi District Civil Surgeon Dr. HM Zahirul Islam said that the current government gives more importance to the health sector. I have come to know about the problem of Nalchiti Upazila Health Complex and will try to solve it as soon as possible.
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