There are only three doctors at the forensic department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and nine at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital.
The total number of doctors for mental health in the country are 250 and 160 to 170 in the physical medicine department. As per international standard, there has to be one anesthesiologist for every ten thousand people but in Bangladesh, that ratio is 1: 150000.
Specialists say that students are not interested in these areas and most tilt towards medicine, gynaecology, surgery or paediatrics.
Since specialists are not increasing, general people are suffering. Head of forensic of the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College & Hospital, Dr AM Selim Reza Chowdhury, says: “There is a dearth of doctors and specialists in this section and that is because those who work in forensics do not have the chance for private practice. Considering the less attractive financial prospect, people are not interested in this.”
Professor Selim Reza Chowdhury says that the ratio of teachers and students is incongruous with one another and adds,' We should have 16 lecturers but have only 4'
Departmental head of forensic of DMCH, Dr Sohel Mahmud, observes: “As per student-teacher ratio, we must have eight teachers but have only three.”
Anesthesiologists are also inadequate in number. At the district hospitals, there’s usually only one anesthesiologist.
At present, the country has 250 mental specialists whereas the number should be ten times more.
Most are employed at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), National Mental Health Institute and the Pabna Mental Health Hospital.
Secretary General of Bangladesh Medical Association, Iqbal Arslan says: “Most district hospitals have surgeons and doctors for gynaecology but there are not many anesthesiologists.”
Speaking about the dearth of mental health specialists, Professor Dr Helal Uddin of the National Mental Health Institute, said: “Some areas in the medical profession are more lucrative and so students are more interested in these subjects.”
Also, mental health doctors were tagged by the pejorative epithet ‘doctor for mad people’ which was why many avoided this discipline, he added.
Professor of physical medicine at BSMMU, Dr MA Salek, adds: “There are only 160 to 170 doctors in the physical medicine department but the requirement is for 500 to 700.”
Former VC of BSMMU, Dr Rashif E Mahbub, observes: “Since the government controls post-graduate education, it has to decide on human resources allotment in the medical sector.”
Head of Anesthesiology of Kurmitola General Hospital, Dr Shahzad Hossain, says: “Anesthesia is not given its proper evaluation in Bangladesh. In other countries, an anesthesiologist is a physician but here s/he is only an anesthesiologist.”