Nurul Islam Hasib
bdnews24.com senior correspondent
Dhaka, Aug 29 (bdnews24.com)—Hospitals have prepared a 'special' roster to manage patients during Eid holidays when most of the Muslim doctors, nurses and auxiliaries go on leave to celebrate the festival.
Non-Muslim doctors dominate the roster while those that will be celebrating Eid in the capital Dhaka and on the outskirts and those who are willing to work have been put on duty during the holidays following a 'standing order' from the directorate for health services.
All services will remain open, except outdoors, director general for health Khondaker Mohammed Shefyetullah told bdnews24.com on Sunday.
Hospitals have been directed to keep outdoors shut during the first two days of the three-day government holidays starting on Tuesday.
Patients only needing emergency attention usually come to hospital during Eid, Shefyetullah argued.
Many patients, however, left hospitals fearing 'sufferings' during Eid holidays while those who stayed back are wary.
"I might not get proper nursing (during holidays)," a patient at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH)'s surgery department, , who declined to be named for fear of possible harassment, told bdnews24.com.
He is anxious as he witnessed one of his relatives' hassles in the hospital during Eid holidays two years back. "Duty sisters (nurses), ward boys do not listen to the patients, sometimes duty doctors try to dodge their duty."
"Each department has prepared their own duty roster for Eid holidays," DMCH's director Shahidul Haque Mallik told bdnews24.com.
He ruled out the possibilities of patient sufferings.
Apart from non-Muslim staff, those who are staying in the capital are also assigned, he said; even professors would also visit indoor patients.
An assistant professor at DMCH's medicine department, Mohammad Titu Miah, recalling his experience said, "Practically patients do not suffer during Eid holidays in medical college hospitals."
"Even big private hospitals keep their facilities open, but there is exception with small clinics," he said, adding they might remain shut due to doctors' shortages.
A resident of the city's Jatrbari, 'Rasheda' echoed the doctor and said she had to travel all the way to DMCH with her burnt hands last year.
"There are many clinics in my area, but I did not find any open," she said.
Autonomous Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital will keep its emergency services open while outdoor services will be shut for the three-day holidays.
"We have drawn up roster mostly with non-Muslim doctors," vice-chancellor Dr Pran Gopal Datta told bdnews24.com.
Specialised government hospitals such as the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation popularly known as Pangu Hospital will keep their services open 24/7 in line with the health directorate's order.
The government will serve patients special meals at hospitals on the Eid day.
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