No X-rays at Tungipara Upazila Health Complex!

An acute shortage of X-ray films at the Tungipara Upazila Health Complex in Gopalganj has been inconveniencing local health care seekers as the X-ray facility has been unavailable to them for the past six months.

As a result, patients from all over the district are being denied the service at a time when the demand for X-ray scans are at an all-time high. 

The shortage is affecting patients, mostly those from a weaker financial background, who are now forced to count the extra cost at private radiology centres for X-rays scans that aren’t even always up to the standard in terms of quality.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Jasim Uddin said the state-of-the-art digital X-ray machine that was installed at Tungipara Upazila Health Complex just two years ago, now remained switched off for want of necessary film allocation.

The government hospital was able to provide the X-ray service when it received the necessary film supply routinely but the supply stopped six months ago, he added.

The Gopalganj Civil Surgeon's Office was notified multiple times regarding the issue, but the supply of film was yet to come, he also added.

Tariqul Islam of Tungipara, Mozakkir Billah of Gowhardanga and Kalu Sheikh of Patgati village said that X-ray scans were essential now as the second wave of the coronavirus was sweeping across the nation. 

Tariqul said: “When we could get X-ray scans done at the hospital, it would only cost Tk200. But X-ray scans taken at a private radiology centre cost from Tk400 up to Tk600. Moreover, the X-ray reports from private radiology centres are often unclear.” 

Mozakkir Billah of GowhardangaL “X-ray scans fall under necessary health care services, especially during the time of the coronavirus pandemic. For this, immediate steps have to be taken to re-establish the normal supply of the film.”

In this regard, Tungipara Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Jasim Uddin said: “The same amount of X-ray film is allocated to all hospitals. But the allotted films at the Tungipara Upazila Health Complex run out quickly. The reason is that, besides patients from Tungipara, many others from Kotalipara, Bagerhat’s Chitalmari and Pirojpur’s Nazirpur go to the hospital. 

Necessary films were required at the radiology department immediately, otherwise the crisis would continue, the official added.