Reza Mahmud :
Anarchies in medical tests in hospitals and clinics giving pains to the patients and making treatment both costly and difficult, experts said.
In cases of medical test fees, hospitals are taking different charges which are making patients puzzled and are creating sufferings also.
“I have given Tk 3050 for an ECG test in a hospital near to Sayedabad, but the very same test fee is Tk 2800 in nearby hospital,” said Shahidul Islam, a patient.
He said, “I think I have given extra money beyond the real cost of the test. It should not be.”
He said such types of difference in charging test fees are not acceptable. The government should monitor and take action so that no hospitals can charge extra money to patients.
People in many other areas of the city have alleged the same. Most of them said that it made them distrusted to the health facilities.
Fees charged on account of the pathological tests from hospitals to hospitals vary which is surprising and never acceptable.
Taslim Ahmed, a resident of Hatirpool area in the capital said, he paid Tk 8000 in for his wife’s Ultra Sonogram test in a Dhanmondi hospital while one of his colleagues completed from a different hospital costing only Tk 5000.
He also expressed his anger over such varieties in charging pathological and other medical tests fees.
Apart from these, test reports also do not match in different laboratories which also a matter of anxiety for patients as it hampered of taking medical treatment and create extra burden to them.
Public health experts said that the cost of diagnostic tests vary in different laboratories. There should a standard of laboratories set by the government as well as cost of the tests.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of the World Health Organisation (WHO) told The New Nation, “Medical tests are very essential for correct diagnosis. On the basis of history of the condition and considering the signs and symptoms the diagnosis of the disease is detected by doctor. On occasions the diagnosis need to be confirmed by different diagnostic tests.”
The Professor said that the national Institute of laboratory science should look after the minimum criteria for the government and private laboratories as well as standard charges for different tests. This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.
He said, the reference laboratory should be given the responsibility and made
accountable to look after the quality and standard of all laboratories as well the charges made.
The expert said that system should be developed for effective monitoring of supervision of both quality standard and charges.
When contacted, Professor Dr. Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) told The New Nation, “We have formed a committee in these regards to solve the problem. The committee will classify the hospitals as A, B, C and D categories as per their standard. Then DGHS would fixed medical test fees for each categories.”
Professor Khurshid Alam said that the tasks might be completed within this year.
The DG of the DGHS said also that they will take strict action in case of wrong medical reports and extra charging.
