Healthcare services at Singra Upazila Health Complex in Natore have been severely disrupted due to a shortage of doctors, inadequate manpower and an insufficient number of beds, forcing many patients to seek treatment at hospitals outside the upazila.

Hospital sources said 21 of the 46 sanctioned doctor posts are currently vacant, including key positions for junior consultants, cardiology, ophthalmology, physical medicine, ear, nose and throat (ENT), and Ayurvedic services. The crisis has worsened as five doctors are currently working on deputation elsewhere, increasing the workload on the remaining physicians.

The hospital is also facing an acute shortage of support staff. Of the 109 sanctioned third-class posts, 39 remain vacant, while 17 of the 23 fourth-class positions are unfilled, affecting the hospital’s overall operations.

The shortage has left the hospital struggling to manage an average of 700 to 800 outpatients daily, while 100 to 120 patients are admitted every day despite the hospital having only 50 beds. As a result, patients are often forced to lie on the floor, outside wards and even near staircases due to the lack of beds.

Although the hospital was upgraded from 31 beds to 50 beds in 2010, manpower was not increased accordingly, further aggravating the crisis. Despite limited resources, the hospital performs around 12 to 15 surgeries each month. Residents believe the range and quality of services could be expanded if vacant specialist posts were filled.

School teacher Md Kawsar Ahmed from Dahiya village said a 100-bed hospital has become essential for Singra’s growing population. “Our upazila has more than five lakh people, but there is only one government hospital. Without increasing its capacity, people will continue to be deprived of proper healthcare,” he said.

Mousumi Saha, a resident of Hattingra area in Singra municipality, said patients are suffering because there are no specialists in eye, ENT and several other departments. Locals also urged the government to appoint doctors to the vacant posts and upgrade the hospital to 100 beds to ensure adequate healthcare services.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Md Mujahidul Islam acknowledged the manpower shortage and said the hospital’s existing infrastructure is inadequate for the area’s population. “Singra is a large upazila.

Several important specialist posts remain vacant, and the hospital needs to be upgraded to 100 beds to meet the growing demand.

This will improve the quality of healthcare services and enable us to serve more patients,” he said, urging the government to take immediate steps to expand the facility.