The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will launch a crackdown on illegal hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres soon on as such medical facilities as pose threat to public health.
The latest development follows the death of Senior ASP Anisul Karim Shipon in an assault by employees of Mind Aid Psychiatry and De-addiction Hospital in the capital.
The hospital did not have a licence and was running without trained psychologists and required manpower, according to DGHS officials.
Besides, at least 11,940 hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres are providing services across the country without any approval from the Directorate General of Health Services.
Among them, 2,916 hospitals and clinics never applied for licences, while 9,024 hospitals and clinics have applied for licences but are yet to receive approval. Some hospitals are running with expired licences.
“The DGHS will launch a crackdown against all unlicensed medical facilities across the country soon,” said DG Health Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam.
He said, “We don’t have a sufficient workforce to shut down all at the same time.
I have asked the civil surgeons to shut these hospitals as soon as possible.”
When asked, Prof Khurshid said, “Mind Aid Psychiatry and De-addiction Hospital got licence from the Department of Narcotics Control. But they must be authorised by the DGHS to provide any mental health care. That’s why we have shut it down.”
In most cases, he said, the illegal clinics and diagnostic centres are patronised by the local political leaders, public representatives and doctors, said Khurshid Alam.
“We face a hurdle whenever we try to shut them down. The media can help us by publishing the names of the masterminds behind it.”
According to the Medical and Private Clinics and Laboratories Ordinance 1982, no hospitals, clinics or diagnostic centres can operate without obtaining approvals from the DGHS.
When asked, Dr Md Farid Hossain Miah, Director (Hospital) of DGHS said, “We have already instructed the district and upazila health administration to take action against the unlicensed private hospitals, clinics and diginostic centres in their areas.”
“We have a list of the unauthorized medical facilities across the country,” he said”.
Dr Md Farid Hossain Miah, however, admitted the DGHS, inability to monitor the quality of care of those hospitals due to lack of manpower.
On November 10, the DGHS ordered its divisional directors to send a list of approved and unapproved private medical service providers. It is compiling a list of unlicensed clinics and diagnostic centres.
Dhaka division has 3,535 illegal health service centres, while Chattogram has 2,232, Khulna 1,523, Rajshahi 1,438, Rangpur 1,099, Mymensingh 963, Barishal 603 and Sylhet 546.
