Rajshahi, July 20 (V7N) — Nargis Begum, a 65-year-old woman from Sapahar Upazila of Naogaon district, came to the outpatient department of Rajshahi Medical College (RAMEC) Hospital early Saturday morning for treatment. She has been suffering from a persistent headache for three days. "I arrived at six in the morning to see a doctor, but I still haven’t received a queue number, and I don’t know when I’ll be called," she said.
 
Upon visiting RAMEC’s outpatient department on Saturday (July 19), it was evident that thousands of patients like Nargis were waiting in long lines for consultations. The queues extended beyond the doctors’ chambers to the hospital’s main gate. Pregnant women were also seen waiting for hours near the gynecology department. Mariam Akter, a pregnant patient, said, “Private clinics charge 500 taka for consultation, but here the outdoor service costs only 10 taka with good doctors. However, the long waiting lines make it hard for us pregnant women to breathe comfortably. It would be better if the hospital authority could arrange special facilities for us.”
 
According to hospital officials, the outpatient department operates daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., except on government holidays, offering consultations in medicine, dermatology, gynecology, physical medicine, dentistry, surgery, ophthalmology, psychiatry, orthopedics, ENT, pediatrics, homeopathy, and Ayurveda. Specialist doctors also provide services in pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, urology, hepatology, pulmonology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, rheumatology, respiratory medicine, and pediatric surgery.
 
Before 2020, the outpatient department served fewer than 5,000 patients daily on average. Now, the number has doubled to approximately 10,000 patients per day, with only 150 doctors available. Each doctor sees an average of 100 to 150 patients daily. Hospital authorities believe that recruiting at least 50 more doctors and establishing separate departments for each specialty is necessary to reduce patient congestion and ensure timely care.
 
Shankar Kumar Biswas, spokesperson for RAMEC Hospital, said, “Patients come here not only from northern Bangladesh but also from Barisal and Khulna divisions. Managing this large influx is challenging. The outpatient department now sees 8,000 to 10,000 patients every day, handled by 150 doctors, some of whom are not permanently stationed. We have requested the Ministry to recruit more doctors and set up separate departments for better service, but no action has been taken so far.”
 
The hospital's growing patient load highlights the urgent need for infrastructural and staffing improvements to provide accessible, quality healthcare to the increasing number of patients.
 
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