THE Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Tuesday sealed off two units of Regent Hospital in the city’s Uttara and Mirpur area over their alleged involvement in issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and taking money from coronavirus patients for treatment. RAB in response to huge complaints conducted the drive and found many irregularities in the hospital. The authorities of the hospital issued more than 10,000 Covid-19 test results and of them, around 4,200 samples were tested at different government labs and the rest were prepared with fake reports and handed those to people. The hospital took Tk 3,500 for each test, meaning they embezzled more than Tk 3.5 crore, despite having an agreement with the government on conducting tests and providing treatment at free of cost. Even the licence of the hospital expired in 2014 and has an ICU below the minimum standard. As the hospital authorities learnt that some people made complaints, they filed a general diary against some staffs to pass the blame on them and avoid legal action. The hospital authorities were supposed to treat patients free of cost as per agreement with the government, but surprisingly they charged patients and what is more, also submitted a bill to the government as treatment provider.
The event of the Regent Hospital exposes sheer negligence of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) for enlisting COVID-19 hospitals without meeting minimum standard, despite experts urged for preparedness for two months before the first confirmed case. People are suffering from a sorry state in COVID-19 test and treatment due to government’s sluggish steps, uncoordinated actions and utter negligence. The news and electronic media are flooded with people’s complaint of harassment, delay and treatment refusal in hospitals. But the minister concerned is silent because he is a minister for the running of the ministry.
We know how senseless to ask for investigation and punishment. No investigation will disclose the high level people who assured protection. Time for real investigation to know the truth will come in the situation of terrible chaos.
