Fertility hospital sets example in serving poor amid pandemic

Sabuj Alam admitted his wife Champa Begum to Mohammadpur Fertility Services and Training Centre (MFSTC) on 24 August and she gave birth to a child on the next day. Three days later, she left the hospital after recovering fully. The hospital charged them Tk15 only. 

Sabuj told The Business Standard, "I did not know earlier that such a good treatment is available here at such a low cost. Here I bought a ticket for only Tk5 to consult a doctor for my wife. After that I bought a ticket for Tk10 to admit her into the hospital. My wife's treatment did not cost any more money. It only had to buy some medicines worth around Tk1,000 from outside." 

Like Sabuj and Champa, many people who received treatment at the MFSTC in the capital's Mohammadpur area were very satisfied with the hospital's services. However, due to the shortage of manpower and high pressure of patients, there is some delay in providing treatment to patients at the hospital. 

"Doctors and nurses at the hospital were always looking after my wife. There was no problem regarding food, medicine, or anything else. I could not go inside but my mother-in-law was with my wife all the time. She told me there was no problem. However, there is a delay in getting some services due to the pressure of the patient," said Sabuj.

There are 50 doctors including the director at the hospital. The small number of doctors and nurses often struggle to provide medical services to a huge number of patients.

Dr Md Muniruzzaman Siddiqui, director of MFSTC, told TBS, "It is miraculous that we are providing services with such little manpower. It becomes very difficult to run a hospital with such a small number of staff members. Still, we are not sending away any patients."

"Due to the manpower crisis, we are not able to treat patients in time. They have to stand in line for a long time to get services. However, we have special services for emergency patients," said the director.

The hospital authorities said they are considering increasing the area of the hospital and recruiting more manpower. They have also filed an application to the authorities concerned for a new lift as the lone lift in the compound is unable to bear the pressure of patients and officials.

While many other hospitals reduced the number of general patients they treat amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of patients at the MFSTC increased significantly. 

Everyday around 1,000 patients receive treatment at the hospital. Around 700 patients get admitted to hospital every month.

According to the hospital authorities, 26 babies have been delivered in the 24 hours before 1 September morning and on average 20 babies are delivered there every day. 

If a patient needs a caesarean section, that is also done free of cost. Only those who have to be admitted in a cabin after the caesarian section have to spend Tk3,575 for five days including the cost of food.

A total of 604 deliveries were carried out at the hospital in August, of which 300 were caesarian sections and 304 normal deliveries.

MFSTC's social services

The MFSTC was established under the Directorate General of Family Planning in 1974. It was upgraded to a 100-bed maternity and childcare clinic in 2010.

The hospital provides various types of medical services including family planning services, vaccination of children, reproductive health services and childbirth.

Along with treatment, the hospital arranges medicine, food and clothing for the poor patients. The Social Services Office under the Department of Social Services conducts these activities at the hospital.

Parveen Akhter, a pharmacist in charge of MFSTC's Social Services Office, told TBS, "The government is providing free food, clothes and medicine to the needy from the social services fund. It also gives financial assistance. This programme has been going on here since 2012."

Patients who come to this hospital for treatment are getting lifelong service through a health card for only Tk50. In this hospital, all the case history for patients is recorded online, so they can view their test reports or collect information at any time.

The health card service was inaugurated on 17 March last year.

Office assistant at the hospital Munira Sadia told TBS, "We are giving this card to around 90 people a day. About 1500 cards are given to the patients every month. Poor patients get this card for free."

Along with providing medical services, MFSTC also carries out various tests at a very minimal cost. The hospital has the capacity to carry out any test pregnant mothers and children might need. It carries out pathology tests of almost 100 patients every day.

Although there is no facility for Covid-19 tests in this hospital, the doctors are still providing services to patients who are admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 symptoms, because treatment of pregnant mothers cannot be delayed, said the doctors on duty at the hospital.

At MFSTC's training centre, the government and NGOs provide training to doctors and counselors of the city's healthcare facilities. 

Around five-six training programmes are run simultaneously there and the duration of most of the training is six months. Those who come for training also work at the hospital.