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Editorial

Bridle brokers in hospitals


Bangladeshpost
Published : 29 Feb 2024 08:55 PM

We appreciate the authorities concerned as they get tough on brokers, cheat and touts, who humiliate, harass and even assault patients and their relatives at different government and private hospitals. As per the directives of the authorities concerned, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested 42 brokers from four hospitals in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area on Wednesday. 

The individuals apprehended are identified as part of a syndicate operating around these hospitals. If this drive continues, all government hospitals will be freed from the clutches of brokers, cheat and touts, experts think.

A story headlined “Brokers prowl hospitals” was published in this newspaper on Thursday. We have noticed harassment by brokers increasing at government hospitals since long including Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in the country recently. The criminals are active members of different broker gangs at the DMCH, government hospitals, private clinics and diagnostic centres and ambulance syndicate.

We have noticed harassment

 by brokers increasing at

 government hospitals since long

They lure patients from government hospitals promising better treatment and land them in dire situations at private clinics, often leading to death. The organised gangs comprising brokers, muscleman and goons under the patronage of godfathers rule government hospitals in the country in many ways. 

We think the nationwide drive against brokers must continue in line with the government’s election pledges as well as ‘zero tolerance policy’ against any sort of irregularities, mismanagement and misdeeds at public service-oriented sectors like hospital. Since long an unholy nexus between brokers and a section of unscrupulous physicians, officials and staff has turned the government hospitals into places of harassment and humiliations instead of providing service to the people across the country. 

People are compelled to pay bribes to brokers linked with officials at the offices and the rate increases manifold depending on the nature of the treatments. 

When people go to hospitals for taking treatment, these brokers bar them receiving healthcare services and take them to different private and unauthorised hospitals assuring them of better service there. 

We have also noticed that despite repeated drives, such grim scenario is prevailing at every government service sector providers. We think the government must continue drive so that the brokers, thugs, cheat and touts would have no scope to return to their illegal activities further. So, country’s people will get rid of the harassment and humiliations committed by the organised racket.