Ward boys doing nurses' job at Chittagong Medical College Hospital

Ward boys in Chittagong Medical College Hospital have apparently been ‘promoted’ unofficially to do nurses’ job.

Some of the ward boys are doing everything the nurses are supposed to do - from pushing injections to inserting cannulas in patients’ body as per the doctor’s prescriptions.

A bdnews24.com reporter visited different wards of the CMCH from Monday to Thursday this week and found the scary picture which is unheard of in any civilised health system.

On Monday midnight, Abdul Majid, a patient came from Rangunia got admitted to the Ward no. 13 (bed -21). His bed was immediately swamped by a group of ward boys.

One of them tried to insert a canola on his hand but repeatedly failed to find the vein. As the ward boy was groping for the right vein, the patient was seen grimacing and screaming in pain.

Another ward boy was seen preparing an ampoule of injection prescribed for Majid.

Majid’s eldest son Md Sultan, seeing his father in pain, went to nurse’s room to fetch a staff nurse. One of them came but showed reluctance to help out as she apparently relied on the ward boys.

“The (ward) boys can do it,” she assured Sultan and started listening to music on her mobile phone. Another nurse nearby was seen busy Facebooking on her mobile.

“We have little value of our lives. If the injection and cannula insertion go wrong, then a patient’s condition may deteriorate. He or she can even die,” Sultan told bdnews24.com reporter who stayed for a long time in the hospital and went around different wards.

“Who will take the responsibility if anything goes wrong?” he questioned.

One of the two ward boys fled the scene when this correspondent identified himself as a journalist and asked about his responsibilities. The other identified himself as Rubel.

“We try to help the patient,” Rubel told bdnews24.com.

When asked about whether he has any training, Rubel said: “We learnt it by watching it.”

Similar pictures were seen in other wards of the hospital during the four days of investigation.

When asked about the malpractice, CMCH Director Brigadier General Jalal Uddin told bdnews24.com, “If the ward boys do it they are committing a criminal offence. They cannot do it.” 

“I will take stern actions. I punished a number of them earlier. Doctors, nurses, ward boys should do their specific job,” he added.