Although upgraded into a 50-bed hospital in 2007, Amtali Upazila Health Complex is still running with acute manpower shortage as 33 posts out of 71 remain vacant for a long, causing immense suffering for the patients in getting proper treatment.

On the other hand, thousands of service aspirants are suffering due to lack of equipment in the health complex.

Almost 4 lakh people of 7 unions and 1 municipality of the upazila are dependent on the health complex for getting health service.

Service seekers also complained about the unhygienic environment of the health facility.

Local civil society member said that people have turned away from the hospital due to shortage of manpower and indifference of the concerned authorities.

Health complex administrative officer Dr Abdul Munayem Saad said that there are 11 junior consultant posts but all of the posts are vacant. Apart from this, 3 medical officers are working out of 10 posts and there are two cleaners instead of four.

He lamented that they have a lab but there has no MT lab.

“To operate the lab, we have to bring people from the district town Barguna. We have to conduct ECG by nurses as there is no cardiographer in our hospital,” he said.