The health ministry has sought an explanation from the health directorate on how Regent Hospital received the approval for COVID-19 treatment without renewing its license.
The director general of the Directorate General of Health Services has been asked to explain the matter in a letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Umme Habiba of the Health Services Division.
“The image of the country and the government has been tarnished in the wake of the raid conducted by RAB on the hospital on Jul 6 and the media reports of irregularities and corruption in the hospital,” the letter said.
It instructed the health directorate to scrap its deal with Regent Hospital and shut all activities of the facility. The letter also ordered the directorate to send a report to the ministry immediately after investigating the allegations of door-to-door sample collections and the handing-out of false reports by the hospital.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services or DGHS, and other high officials were present during the signing of the deal on Mar 21.
Aminul Hasan, DGHS director (hospitals and clinics), on Wednesday said Regent Hospital was given the contract on condition that it must get the licence renewed.
“They came forward to provide service. We were looking for such hospitals at the time. That’s why they were given the permission under special considerations. They were reminded twice [to renew their licence], but they didn’t.”
The authorities shut down the headquarters and a branch of Regent Hospital on Jul 6 in Dhaka’s Uttara on charges of issuing fake COVID-19 test reports after the Rapid Action Battalion raided the Uttara branch.
On Wednesday, RAB raided the Mirpur branch of Regent Hospital and closed it.
Source: bdnews24.com
