46 health centres without doctors, nurses in Sunamganj

50-bed Upazila Health Complex at Doarabazar, Sunamganj. UNB

By Arun Kumar

Sunamganj, May 23 -Across Sunamganj, 46 government health centres stand unusually silent—modern buildings with no doctors, no treatment and no purpose.

Built to serve the sick and vulnerable, they now symbolise a collapsed promise, as absentee doctors leave entire communities without care.

Yet, behind the locked doors and echoing corridors lies a stark reality, no doctors, no nurses, no medicine, just buildings.

Across Sunamganj’s 11 upazilas, especially in remote unions like Lakshmipur in Dowarabazar, basic healthcare has become a luxury.

According to locals and local health officials, not a single doctor is posted in any of the district’s 46 Union Health and Family Welfare Centres (UHFWCs).

Among the 22 union-level sub-health centres, only five have doctors assigned—most of whom are regularly deployed elsewhere.

The result is a silent collapse of rural healthcare.

Despite improved roads and infrastructure in some areas, villagers are still being turned away from empty clinics.

Recalling earlier days, community worker Syed Mia, now in his mid-age, said, “I got treated by an MBBS doctor here when I was in class four. The building was made of tin sheets, but care was real. Today, we have bricks and concrete—but no one to care for us.”

As Lakshmipur Sub-Health Centre—once the only beacon of care for many people spread across three unions. Today, its gleaming two-storey building hosts just one sub-assistant medical officer, Monirul Islam.

He is the sole lifeline for thousands, performing duties far beyond his capacity.

“I open the gate, hoist the national flag, treat the sick, and clean the premises. When I’m sent elsewhere, the centre simply remains closed,” said Monirul, who lives on-site with his family.

Nurjahan Begum from the union said, “Last Tuesday, my grandson had a high fever. I walked for an hour to get medicine, but the centre was locked. Later, I heard the doctor was on exam duty.”

Tarek Ahmad, a college teacher in the same village, added, “We haven’t had an MBBS doctor here for nearly a decade. When the sub-assistant medical officer is away, the hospital remains closed.”

Some villagers have to travel two hours to reach Dowarabazar or Sunamganj town in case of emergencies. “Patients often die on the way,” Tarek said.

Md Imdadul Haque Chowdhury of Lakshmipur village shared that nearly a hundred patients visit the centre daily, yet one community medical officer is their only hope.

“For two days a week, even he is posted at the upazila health complex. From the outside, this two-storey building looks like a full-fledged hospital—but it’s practically abandoned,” he said.

Stories like this echo throughout the district. In Jagannathpur upazila, five sub-health centres are barely functional.

“These buildings exist only in name,” said Amit Dev, a local resident. “Sometimes someone opens them briefly, but there’s no real service.”

Union Parishad Chairman Shahidul Islam Bakul confirmed the grim state. “We’ve sent reports, held meetings, even raised the issue at district level. Nothing has changed,” he said.

A look at the official numbers confirms the crisis. Of the 22 sanctioned posts for sub-assistant community medical officers, only eight are filled. But most of these officers, too, are assigned to upazila health complexes rather than union facilities.

There are no pharmacists. Only three support staff cover all 22 centres, according to locals.

Not one of the 46 medical officer posts is filled. Just four sub-assistant medical officers are on the ground.

While 57 out of 96 family welfare visitor positions are staffed, nearly a third of ayah (nurse assistant) posts are vacant, and 30 of 46 office assistant positions remain unfilled.

Dr Kripesh Ranjan Roy, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer of Jagannathpur, painted a bleak picture.

“We have four doctors in the entire upazila. Only midwives are posted at union centres. Without doctors, nurses, lab staff, or pharmacists, these centres can’t function," he said.

Even district officials admit the system is failing.

Assistant Director of the District Health Department, Debashish Sharma, said efforts are underway to keep union centres minimally operational through midwife deployment.

Sunamganj Civil Surgeon Dr Jasim Uddin stressed that the only long-term solution is to incentivise rural postings.

“We need to reward service in remote areas—like offering preferred postings after three years here. I’ve raised this at the national level, but the problem remains,” he said.

As of now in Sunamganj, these buildings remain silent but the care they were meant to deliver is missing. The district’s rural population continues to wait, hoping that the next chapter will not just bring bricks and mortar but also people, presence and healing. - UNB