Samia decided to get the cap at the hospital to receive affordable treatment. However, the earliest available appointment for the procedure was on June 1. In the meantime, due to her tooth pain, the doctors prescribed antibiotics and painkillers.

When Samia asked why there was such a long wait, the doctors explained that there were fewer doctors than needed, which caused delays in providing services.

Like Samia, many patients with severe dental issues face long wait times at the hospital. Depending on their condition, some patients have to wait anywhere from one week to three to four months for treatment. As a result, many patients have expressed dissatisfaction with the hospital's services.

When the hospital authorities were asked about this, they revealed that the issue was a shortage of doctors and that the hospital could not handle all types of dental treatments independently. Coordination with other institutions is required to ensure proper treatment, leading to patient delays.

When asked about the delays, Professor Dr. Abu Tayeb Md Ahsan Ullah, director of Dhaka Dental College Hospital, said to Bonik Barta, "In our Implant Center, after the implant procedure, a crown needs to be placed. After the operation, it takes three to four months for the implant to fuse with the bone. Then, an artificial crown or cap is placed on the implant. Since we don't make crowns at our hospital, we must get them from an external lab. That's why the service takes time."

According to hospital sources, there are 128 doctor positions, but only 117 are working. This means 11 positions are vacant. However, with five doctors on deputation, are currently 122 doctors providing services. Every day, 1,200 to 1,500 patients with dental problems visit. Additionally, 113 nurses are working out of 118 nursing positions.

Professor Ahsan Ullah stated that 128 doctors are insufficient for this large number of patients. He told Bonik Barta, "We should have at least three times the number of doctors we have now. Since this is a specialized hospital, we need four times as many specialists as possible. Therefore, senior and junior consultants should exceed a hundred."

There are 23 junior consultants and only three senior consultants at the hospital.

He also mentioned, "The biggest shortage is in the anesthesia department. There are only three anesthesiologists, and they provide services with deputation doctors' help. The hospital has seven operating theaters—five for maxillofacial surgery and two for general surgery. Just three anesthesiologists can't manage all these surgeries."

According to those involved, the doctor shortage at Dhaka Dental College Hospital started when the hospital and college were separated. Initially, they were together, but during the previous government's tenure, the Ministry of Health divided the service and education departments, creating the current shortage.

Although some new positions were created later, in 2020, the hospital management sent a letter requesting additional staff to enhance its capacity. They asked for 801 new positions, including doctors, nurses, administrative officers, and technologists. Based on this proposal, an amendment was sent to the Health Directorate on October 24 of that year under the chairmanship of the additional secretary (administration). However, nearly six years have passed, and no progress has been made.

To minimize patient inconvenience, the hospital's director, Dr. Abu Tayeb Md Ahsan Ullah, said, "We are trying our best with our resources. While it's not fully adequate, we provide nearly all the services. However, it's not possible to meet 100 percent of the demand."

Those involved in the matter confirmed that every year, efforts are made to contact relevant government authorities to increase infrastructure and staffing. Four months ago, a team from the Ministry of Health visited the college to identify its issues. The ministry is still reviewing the report from the visit.

There is not enough space for doctors and teachers to sit or chambers and rooms to treat patients. This crisis might have been avoided if there were more specialized dental clinics in Bangladesh.

The hospital was established in 1961 as the first dental college in then-East Pakistan. It is still Bangladesh's only government dental college and specialized dental hospital. It is the only government full-fledged dental college and the only specialized government hospital providing dental and oral care for people across the country. Patients are referred here from all over the country, which naturally results in a large number of patients.

The hospital needs to increase its number of doctors, staff, beds, operating theaters, and other infrastructure. However, there is not enough space to expand the hospital's premises.

Regarding this issue, the college's principal, Professor Dr. Parimal Chandra Mallick, told Bonik Barta, "The hospital is located on five acres of land, of which slum dwellers occupy two acres. During the 2007-08 caretaker government, the slum dwellers were evicted, but after the Awami League government came to power, local political leaders helped them reclaim the land. As a result, we cannot build infrastructure to ensure better services. The matter is currently under legal proceedings."