Shah Alam Nur :
There are about 30,000 private clinics and diagnostic centres across the country without licenses, officials and medicare businesses said.
They said that a large number of private clinics and diagnostic centres were set up without obtaining approvals from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
“We have observed that about 30,000 private hospitals and diagnostic centres are now doing business in the country with the help of influential quarters”, said Dr ABM Haroon, General Secretary of BPCDOA.
According to the Bangladesh Private Clinic and Diagnostic Owners Association (BPCDOA), the country’s 4000 clinic and 8000 diagnostic centres only have the DGHS approval.
A latest study of the BPCDOA says that more than 30,000 illegal private clinics and diagnostic centres hardly comply with Medical Practice and Private Clinics and Laboratories (Regulation) Ordinance, 1982.
Source said that the owner of the hospitals and clinics should try to obtain license from the health directorate or they should be closed.
He said, the capital has 450 private clinics and hospitals and 1,300 laboratories and diagnostic centres, which have government approval but the number of unauthorized ones might be double.
He said, a number of politicians and corrupt doctors are directly involved with some of illegal clinics and hospital.
There are some 1500 illegal private hospitals and diagnostic centres in the Dhaka city, some operating without any trained medical staff.
More than 70 per cent private clinic and diagnostic centres in the country are running without DGHS approval.
Most of the unauthorized private clinic and hospitals are running without even maintaining the minimum level of safety and health standards, and without dispensing clinical wastage, trained staff and utilizing modern equipment.
“Near the government hospital, a large number of illegal private clinics have been set up to lure patients.” source said.
He said, a number of dishonest and fake doctors are involved with illegal hospital business.
He said, the approval of number of clinic and diagnostic centres has already expired but doing their business without renewed.
An additional secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said: “We have been going to conduct drive against the illegal hospitals and clinics”.
He said that the private clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centers under DGHS and ministry must stop unethical practice.
