Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen has ordered closure of all the unlicensed private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers across the country.
“All the hospitals, diagnostic centers and clinics running without licenses should be closed by themselves, otherwise the ministry will take tough action against them,” Dr. Samant Lal
said while briefing newsmen at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
“Unlicensed medical facilities will not be allowed to operate in the country. Measures will be taken against them. We will show zero-tolerance on corruption and irregularities in the health sector,” he added.
About the death of five-year-old child Ayan at United Hospital, the minister said that instant action has been taken against the hospital. Investigation into the incident is underway.
Action will be taken after getting the probe
report, he said.
Earlier in the morning, family members of Ayan, who died during his circumcision at an unapproved branch of United Hospital, met the health minister with four-point demand, including trial of those responsible for the death.
The minister told them that he was aware of the incident and assured them of taking legal measures. “I myself have been a victim of an unauthorised hospital. Therefore, I will not tolerate such negligence,” he said.
He also vowed to crack down on all the unlicensed and unauthorised hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres to root out corruption in the country’s health sector.
Although there is no official figure of unauthorised health facilities, it is a fact that hundreds of illegal hospitals and clinics are in operation across the country.
Allegations of medical negligence and wrong
treatment are being raised against many of the hospitals and clinics and even against upscale health facilities in Dhaka city.
There are widespread allegations that private hospitals and clinics are involved in massive corruption, irregularities and mismanagement.
It is also alleged that owners of private hospitals and clinics charge patients excessive money. Even many private health facilities hold the patients hostage in the name of providing treatment. There are frequent incidents of diverting patients from public hospitals to the private ones.
A section of physicians in collusion with hospital staff are also found involved in unethical practice. As a result, patients die for wrong treatment at private hospitals and clinics.
The issue of medical negligence and wrong treatment at different private hospitals has come to the fore following the tragic death of five-year-old child Ayan.
Although medical negligence is often reported in the private hospitals and clinics, the real situation is more horrible. Patients and their attendants face negligence in hospitals and clinics every day in many ways.
Now the United Medical College Hospital is facing action from the government. After Ayan’s death, the issue of medical negligence and wrong treatment in the private hospitals and clinics came strongly to the attention of the government and the new health minister has become active.
The health directorate has also become active in this regard. The department is going to launch a crackdown on unlicensed private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres across the country.
According to data obtained from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the number of registered private hospitals is 8,000 and clinics 9,000. However, there is no figure of unauthorised health facilities. According to an estimate by DGHS in 2020, there were around 12,000 unlicensed health facilities in the country. Many people think that this number will be more.
An operation will be launched soon against all the illegal and unregistered hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres, said Additional Director General of DGHS Professor Dr Ahmedul Kabir.
“In the past, we have conducted a crackdown against unauthorised hospitals and clinics. Our people will find out any unregistered hospital. Whenever we receive information, we will close it.”
Meanwhile, the DGHS has already instructed all departmental chiefs and civil surgeons to provide information on all private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks in the country within seven days.
“The list of unregistered private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks located in the areas under your control should be sent within seven working days,” said the order issued by DGHS director (hospitals and clinics) Abu Hossain Md Moinul Ahsan.
Meanwhile, the DGHS has already taken action against United Medical College Hospital for its serious negligence and wrong treatment. The DGHS has ordered closure of the Satarkul branch of the hospital.
Earlier on June 15, the High Court directed the government to investigate the cause of the death of Ayan. The court also wanted a list of all licensed and unregistered private hospitals in the country within one month. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) was asked to submit the report and the list.
Ayan, a nursery student at a private school in the capital, was taken to the United Medical College Hospital for circumcision. On December 31, he was circumcised under full anaesthesia at the hospital’s Satarkul branch allegedly without parental consent. He was later transferred to the hospital’s Gulshan branch as he did not regain consciousness few hours after operation.
After seven days of keeping him on life support in the paediatric intensive care unit in the hospital, the doctors declared Ayan dead on January 7.
On January 9, Ayan’s father Shamim Ahmed filed a case with Badda police station against the United Hospital and some of its doctors and staff members.
Ayan’s uncle Habibur Rahman alleged that the doctors took a class for an hour and a half, keeping Ayan in the operation theatre. The family went to hospital under a Tk 10,000 package. However, additional tests costing Tk. 3,000 were required. But, after Ayan’s passing, the family received a bill of Tk. 6.5 lakh.
Some months, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) shut down all types of surgical operations at the Central Hospital in the capital. The action was taken following the death of a newborn and the wrong treatment given to the mother. Two doctors of the hospital were arrested. Eleven staff members of the hospital had been suspended at that time.
At that time, a Gulf Air pilot died at the United Medical allegedly due to wrong treatment and negligence. Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, allegations had also been raised against the United Hospital for their sheer negligence that led to the death of an elderly woman.
Amid the pandemic, Dhaka’s Regent Hospital was found to be operating illegally after a fraud scandal, while the Mind Aid Hospital in Adabar came under scrutiny following the assault on a police official.
In the wake of these incidents, the health directorate conducted a series of raids, resulting in the closure of around 2,500 unlicensed facilities, and the imposition of fines on various clinics.
The Medical and Private Clinics and Laboratories Ordinance, 1982, bars hospitals, clinics or diagnostic centres from operating without approval.
Private healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, and blood banks, are required to take a license from DGHS each fiscal year. Once the applications are placed online, DGHS officials inspect the facilities and then approve the licenses.
Therefore, it needs close monitoring by the government. To strengthen and make the private health care sector effective, it is crucial to ensure that none can set up hospitals and clinics bypassing the law, said Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, a public health lawyer.
He appreciated the government’s move to go tough on irregularities in the private hospitals which are running without license and not complying with conditions set by the health authorities.
