By Badal Nur

DHAKA, Dec 4, 2024 (BSS) - The outdoor patients of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) doesn't get proper medical services as scarcity of doctors, dominance of medical representatives and agents and mismanagement grip it, awaiting people in long queues to avail medicare for hours.

Huge presence of representatives of pharmaceuticals companies, shortage of doctors, and influence of agents were seen lingering the patients' sufferings as they have to wait for hours after hours to reach the concerned outdoor doctors room even after buying tickets from the hospital.

Medical representatives are very often seen intruding frequently into the rooms of outdoor physicians who were comparatively low in number for demand, making patients' time wasted for hours and putting them in long lines to get treatment.

Pharmaceuticals companies usually deploy such representatives to influence doctors to prescribe their respective companies medicines.

Patients complained that there are also middle men active in the hospitals outdoor area amid strict surveillance of police, ansar members and hospital officials.

"Even, the agents take money by promising various help to the patients. But after taking money, they don't help patients," they said, adding they also faced mismanagement as they went to various department scattered in the hospital area for undergoing tests, consuming huge time even a day, making especially elderly patients suffer.

The hospital has two outdoor as thousands of patients from different parts of the country came to the hospital for better treatment every day.

Nurul Haque and his wife Saleha Begum came to the hospital from Savar. Saleha's husband had been suffering from fever for a few days. She said that an agent took taka 200 for helping them visiting doctor but eventually he didn't help them.

Safia Begum came to the hospital from Cumilla for fever. She said she was standing in line for hours but cannot visit the doctor yet.

She also said representatives of various drug companies entered the doctor's room frequently but the patients are not able to visit the doctors.

Another patient Shah Alam appears to be tired for standing in line for a long time. He said representatives of pharmaceutical companies were entering doctors' rooms unhindered. As a result, patients have to stand in long queues, he said.

BSMMU  Former Vice Chancellor Professor Md. Sayedur Rahman said huge rush of the patients might sometimes hamper providing proper medical services to the patients as about 10 thousand patients from different parts of the country come here for treatment every day.

He also acknowledged the shortage of doctors, saying there are lacks of physicians for demand, but he said the authorities try to do best its part using limited resources.

He, as well, urged the patients not to pay anyone any extra money except the price of outdoor ticket.

The VC warned of taking tougher actions against people involved with taking money from the patients saying that they will help them visit the doctors quickly.