Dental services at Cumilla Medical College Hospital are being severely hampered by shortage of essential equipment, forcing many patients to return without treatment or seek care at private facilities.
Although the dental department has 10 doctors, a shortage of necessary equipment and manpower has limited the number of dental surgeries that can be performed each day to 20. Patients who fail to secure a place on the daily list are often turned away.
Mohammad Abu Jafar travelled from Muradnagar with his son for a tooth extraction but was unable to get treatment after arriving late and finding that all 20 surgery slots for the day had already been filled.
“I came from far away to have my son’s tooth extracted. I requested the doctors several times, but they said the quota for the day was already full,” he said.
Similarly, Kamrunnahar, who came from Mudaffarganj for dental treatment, was advised to have a root canal procedure at a private facility after being examined at the hospital.
According to department sources, up to 20 patients can undergo dental surgery each day because of a shortage of surgical instruments. Complex dental surgeries are performed twice a week.
A total of 522 patients underwent dental surgery at the department in the past six months, the sources said.
One of the department’s major problems is the absence of an oral panoramic X-ray (OPG) machine. As a result, at least 20 patients a day have to undergo X-rays at outside diagnostic centres, increasing their costs and wasting time.
The hospital also lacks an adequate supply of local anaesthetic used during tooth extraction, forcing many patients to purchase the medicine from outside.
The department also lacks adequate equipment for dental fillings and root canal treatment, officials said.
The shortage of dental chairs is another major obstacle. Although the department is supposed to have five chairs, only two are currently available, limiting the number of patients who can receive treatment simultaneously.
The department is also operating without the staff it is officially supposed to have. Although two employees are sanctioned for the department, neither post is currently filled. The department has reportedly hired two workers with its own funds to assist patients.
Doctors said they are unable to provide the expected level of treatment because of the shortage of equipment and are often compelled to refer patients elsewhere.
Although the hospital has a designated dental ward, no patients are currently admitted there.
Dr Rokeya Zaman, head of the dental department, said two beds had been allocated to the department but claimed that the beds were being rented from the ENT department.
She said the dental ward could not be made operational because there are no sanctioned posts for maxillofacial surgery.
However, Prof Dr Shajibur Rashid, head of the ENT department, disputed the claim, saying there is no provision for renting or leasing beds between departments at a government hospital.
“No beds from the ENT ward have been rented to the dental department,” he said.
Asked whether the dental department has submitted a requisition for the necessary equipment, Dr Rokeya said a demand was submitted in July 2025.
She said no fresh requisition was submitted afterwards because the hospital director’s office did not ask the department to submit one.
Cumilla Medical College Hospital’s acting Director Prof Dr Md Shahjahan confirmed that a requisition for the required dental equipment was submitted in July 2025.
He said arrangements will be made to ensure the supply of necessary equipment, dental chairs and manpower, as well as to make the dental ward operational.