Editorial
Pongu hospital inadequacies
It needs urgent attention
The National Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics, known as the Pongu Hospital, is the largest of its kind in the country. Physiotherapy is one of the key elements of services provided at the institute. Whereas the two regular physiotherapists currently working at the hospital are of the opinion that with the number of patients arriving on a daily basis, the hospital needs as many as 50 therapists, it is shocking to find that acute dearth of physiotherapists remains at the hospital. One only has to mark the statement by Kazi Humayun Kabir, Professor and course coordinator: "if a patient gets proper physiotherapy then the possibility of full recovery in most cases is 80 to 90 percent" -- so vital is the health service that this hospital can provide.
There has been a steady rise in the number of patients caused by various types of trauma and disability due to increase in road accidents or caused by other conditions. Patients coming from across the country often have to wait for hours or even a full day to gain access to either any diagnosis or treatment.
Suffice it to say that this public health hospital of vital importance has been in an utter state of neglect for years since its establishment, despite the fact that from time to time media had pointed out the deteriorating state of affairs at the hospital.
Thus the need for a properly functioning specialised hospital like the Pongu hospital cannot be overemphasised. The demand for its service is now greater since the charges one has to pay for services at privately owned physiotherapy centres are exorbitant and beyond the reach of the common man.
We therefore strongly recommend that Pongu hospital be revamped and let it have all the support it needs in terms of manpower and equipment. Frankly, given the dimension and nature of its requirements compared to that of other regular hospitals it should be quite possible to meet them.
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