Reza Mahmud :
People have been suffering in mountain indiscipline as different private hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country charging the patients much higher cost for each and every pathological test.
They have been taking this advantage as there is no fixed price set by the government for different tests forcing the patients to swallow this unbearable cost, alleged a number of suffer patients.
On the other hand, government hospitals have been extending services to a very limited number of patients in the field of pathology, they further alleged.
In addition, wrong pathology reports make the patients worst sufferers.
“I’m really suffering as I’ve to stand in long queue every day for the pathological test of my uncle at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). But I have no choice as the same test at private hospitals will cost more,” said Tahsin Tarique, a nephew of a patient at the DMCH.
Besides, he said,
the hospital’s capability to serve in pathology test is limited. Many patients failed to take pathological tests from here. When they go to private hospitals, they are charged unlimited cost compared to the government hospitals.
In different hospitals and clinics many patients alleged about their untold sufferings because of high cost for different pathological tests as well as wrong reports. They said many of the machines like MRI, X-ray and Ultra-sonogram are frequently went out of order. Some patients also accused of some dishonest physicians for referring them to certain diagnostic centers who charge high cost.
Sources said, the government has issued a circular in this regard in 2010. But that circular was only for government hospitals. There is no circular on pathological fees for private hospitals and clinics yet.
Dr. Samiul Islam Sadi, the Director of Health Department (Hospitals and Clinics) said, though the circular issued only for government hospitals, the process is on to prepare new circular about pathological test fees for private hospital and clinics.
While asked about charging of unlimited fees and also wrong reports by the private hospitals, Dr. Sadi said they are monitoring it. “Frequently we penalize some hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres for this,” he said.
According to the government circular, Ultra-sonogram fee has been fixed at Tk 110. When the DMCH takes Tk 110 for Ultra-sonogram test, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) collects Tk 250.
For the same test, Lab Aid Hospital Tk 1,500, Medinova Medical Services Tk 1,200, Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital Tk 1.200 and BIRDEM General Hospital Tk 1,000.
According to the circular, brains city scan fee (without medicine) is Tk 2,000 but the private hospitals are taking double as fees, chest X-ray rate is Tk 200, but private hospitals taking Tk 450 to 5oo, combined blood tests of TC, DC and Hemoglobin is Tk 150, but the private bodies taking Tk 600 to 800, and urine and stool test fee is Tk 200, but privates bodies taking Tk 600 to 1500.
In the same way, the circular has fixed the fees of 470 items of 23 categories of pathology tests, but no one care that.
Sources said, government officials are not keeping eyes on private hospitals’ unethical business on pathology tests.
Md. Nasir Wakar, Manager (Admin) of Medinova Medical Services, told to The New Nation that, “Our Ultra-sonogram machine is bought by Tk one crore and 27 lakh while some government and non-government hospitals buy low quality machine by Tk 27 or 28 lakh. Besides, the government hospitals get subsidies but we do not.”
When asked about frequent disorder of pathological machines at DMCH, Dr. Khawaja Abdul Gafur, assistant director of the hospital told to The New Nation, “We try our best to keep machines in order. If any machine went out of order we try to repair it quickly.”
People have been suffering in mountain indiscipline as different private hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country charging the patients much higher cost for each and every pathological test.
They have been taking this advantage as there is no fixed price set by the government for different tests forcing the patients to swallow this unbearable cost, alleged a number of suffer patients.
On the other hand, government hospitals have been extending services to a very limited number of patients in the field of pathology, they further alleged.
In addition, wrong pathology reports make the patients worst sufferers.
“I’m really suffering as I’ve to stand in long queue every day for the pathological test of my uncle at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). But I have no choice as the same test at private hospitals will cost more,” said Tahsin Tarique, a nephew of a patient at the DMCH.
Besides, he said,
the hospital’s capability to serve in pathology test is limited. Many patients failed to take pathological tests from here. When they go to private hospitals, they are charged unlimited cost compared to the government hospitals.
In different hospitals and clinics many patients alleged about their untold sufferings because of high cost for different pathological tests as well as wrong reports. They said many of the machines like MRI, X-ray and Ultra-sonogram are frequently went out of order. Some patients also accused of some dishonest physicians for referring them to certain diagnostic centers who charge high cost.
Sources said, the government has issued a circular in this regard in 2010. But that circular was only for government hospitals. There is no circular on pathological fees for private hospitals and clinics yet.
Dr. Samiul Islam Sadi, the Director of Health Department (Hospitals and Clinics) said, though the circular issued only for government hospitals, the process is on to prepare new circular about pathological test fees for private hospital and clinics.
While asked about charging of unlimited fees and also wrong reports by the private hospitals, Dr. Sadi said they are monitoring it. “Frequently we penalize some hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres for this,” he said.
According to the government circular, Ultra-sonogram fee has been fixed at Tk 110. When the DMCH takes Tk 110 for Ultra-sonogram test, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) collects Tk 250.
For the same test, Lab Aid Hospital Tk 1,500, Medinova Medical Services Tk 1,200, Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital Tk 1.200 and BIRDEM General Hospital Tk 1,000.
According to the circular, brains city scan fee (without medicine) is Tk 2,000 but the private hospitals are taking double as fees, chest X-ray rate is Tk 200, but private hospitals taking Tk 450 to 5oo, combined blood tests of TC, DC and Hemoglobin is Tk 150, but the private bodies taking Tk 600 to 800, and urine and stool test fee is Tk 200, but privates bodies taking Tk 600 to 1500.
In the same way, the circular has fixed the fees of 470 items of 23 categories of pathology tests, but no one care that.
Sources said, government officials are not keeping eyes on private hospitals’ unethical business on pathology tests.
Md. Nasir Wakar, Manager (Admin) of Medinova Medical Services, told to The New Nation that, “Our Ultra-sonogram machine is bought by Tk one crore and 27 lakh while some government and non-government hospitals buy low quality machine by Tk 27 or 28 lakh. Besides, the government hospitals get subsidies but we do not.”
When asked about frequent disorder of pathological machines at DMCH, Dr. Khawaja Abdul Gafur, assistant director of the hospital told to The New Nation, “We try our best to keep machines in order. If any machine went out of order we try to repair it quickly.”
