Sending patients home from hospitals during Eid holidays

PUBLIC HOSPITALs in the capital and other districts discharged many patients in the last couple of days. Cause of these discharges is that most physicians and nurses would be on leave during the nine-day Eid-ul-Fitr holidays that began on Friday. Since there would be scarcity of physicians to attend patients those who can go home were asked to go. An English daily on Saturday made the disclosure quoting relatives of several patients who said ten days are enough for a patient to go without treatment. Worse may happen by this time. But patients were given discharge slips and asked to report after the Eid holidays were over.
Hospital authorities, however said most patients feeling better left hospital on their own to celebrate the Eid festival with their families and friends. But whatever they say it seems to be a total anarchic situation in our view that physicians are creating to enjoy long holidays. A responsible hospital management can’t think of such arrangement. We would ask the authorities concerned to run public hospitals in patients’ treatment interest, not as per convenience of physicians
When festival knocks at the door, doctors and nurses become restive to enjoy vacation in a mass scale, patients also get quick recovery then to leave hospital to come back after the vacation is over! This is a surprising practice that even sickness will respect. But normal mind cannot accept this explanation as trustworthy. Hospital is not rest house. Patients come to a hospital with various complaints about physical illness. If it is said that their illness has gone or reduced to create convenient environment to enjoy Eid festival for doctors and nurses, it should not be a public case to be acceptable to people.
It is no secret that doctors and nurses in public hospitals are mostly remain absent from regular duty. Patients do not get proper treatment and care from government hospitals which are however mandatory on the parts of hospital doctors. Scarcity of doctors, nurses and other staff in public hospitals at the time of Eid festival is not a new phenomenon. This year it has taken an acute shape because the length of public holidays extended all time limits. It is a long period if we keep in our mind the seriousness of emergency medicare service. Illness can attack any person at any time. So, round the clock vigilance is a part of treatment admitting patients in the hospitals. Casual attitude in this sector should not be allowed. This malpractice should be stopped where proper health care is genuine need to all sick persons in need of treatment.