Brokers continue to harass patients at different state-run hospitals, thanks to the negligence of authorities concerned.
Patients and their relatives allege that they are not getting respite from the brokers whenever they enter the hospital premises for receiving treatment.
RAB-2 detained 42 brokers from four hospitals in the capital's Sher-E-Bangla Nagar area on Wednesday.
Major Mohammad Nazmullahel Wadud, deputy commander of RAB-2, disclosed this at a briefing at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital on Wednesday.
Holding the authorities concerned responsible for their sorry state, they claim that the authorities concerned are turning a blind eye to the harassment perpetrated by the brokers.
Talking to the Bangladesh Post, some keen of patients allege that even they have failed to get the attention of the physicians without the support of the brokers.
In most of the cases, patients without strong lobbying, have to wait for days for getting a date even for minor surgery, they say.
Visiting some top hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, it has been observed that brokers in connivance with a section of hospital staff, ruled supreme on hospital premises.
They compel the patients to take treatment at private hospitals mentioning inadequate facilities at the state-run renowned hospitals.
Asked about the presence of brokers on hospital premises, Additional Deputy Inspector General Anwar Hosaain Khan, who is also the Commanding Officer of RAB-2 said, “I don’t see any permanent solution to make the government hospitals free from greedy brokers.”
“Following the requests from the
high ups of the government hospitals, we regularly conduct drives at hospitals and arrest brokers,” he told the Bangladesh Post.
As per the existing laws, the executive magistrates are awarding sentences to the brokers. But a little later, the same brokers again are seen repeating the same offence, the RAB-2 boss continued.
A poor patient, who recently was admitted to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) in city’s Agargaon area, shared his sufferings with the Bangladesh Post.
“I was admitted to the hospital after being injured in a terrible road crash this month. I had to wait more than two hours only to consult the emergency doctors,” he said.
Even, not a nurse came to examine my condition despite repeated requests from my relatives, he added.
Another patient who was admitted to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in the city said, “At first I was admitted to the hospital. Doctors advised me for some expensive tests. When my wife talked to the employees of the section concerned at hospital, they informed her that the medical equipment is out of order.”
“Later, the staff provided my wife a phone number of a renowned private diagnostic centre for those tests. Considering the situation, I left the government hospital,” he narrated.
Many patents and their relatives allege that some doctors and nurses along with other staff of the government hospitals are linked with private hospitals. Only to get commissions, they (Brokers, staff and doctors) cunningly push patients to those private hospitals, it is alleged.
Md Abu Hasan, Executive Magistrate of the RAB Forces Headquarters, said that both the patients and the hospital staff should be well aware to make government hospitals broker-free.
He, however, puts emphasis on conducting regular drives against the brokers.
Abu Hasan, who is also a senior assistant secretary, told this correspondent that for permanent solution to the issues, patients and their relatives must be aware where and to whom they need to go for getting their desired health services.
At the same time, the hospital staff who are providing the health care services to the patients, should also change their mind-set.
He said, “If the heath staffs cordially treat the patients, patients and their relatives will not be fallen victim to the brokers.”
About the role of private hospitals in this regard, the senior RAB officer said, “Private hospital authorities should think that health care service is not a business like other types of profitable business.”
They must realise that making profit should not be the only aim of the health care service as it is a service oriented sector, Abu Hasan opined.
Responding to a question of the involvement of the hospital staff with brokers, he said, “I do not have any specific information about that.”
He said, “The health ministry runs constant monitoring against the activities of private hospitals which are located near the reputed government hospitals. But the monitoring should be intensified.”
Major Wadud said acts of violence and other misdeeds by the brokers have increased on hospital premises. Various allegations are being raised against them, including shifting patients from government hospitals to private hospitals, bothering patients and their relatives with prescriptions, and commission trading. Some dishonest employees are also in nexus.
He also said that drives were carried out simultaneously at Dhaka Shishu Hospital, National Institute of Traumatology & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Hospital, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Bangladesh, and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
The Department of Health also started drives at private hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres in the capital.
A total of six clinic-diagnostic centres and blood banks were closed on Tuesday, the first day of the drive while some health care centres had been warned.