Reza Mahmud :
Lack of proper monitoring to supervise the activities of hospitals and clinics are the vital response behind the anarchies in the health sectors, public health experts opined.
Besides, the experts are divided about the raiding of hospitals and clinics after the Health Ministry sent a letter to the Home Ministry urging to stop law enforcers’ raid on those health service providers.
Sources said, after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, worst scenarios of health services are revealed one after another in the government and private hospitals and clinics. Fake coronavirus tests and fake treatment business were unveiled in JKG Health Care Center and Regent Hospitals in the city.
Law enforcers raided those hospitals and arrests owners and other officials who admitted their involvement of irregularities in medical treatment and tests.
The Health Ministry later canceled corona test and treatment contracts with the two hospitals.
Later the law enforcers raided on Shahabuddin hospital in the city after getting some allegations against them.
Patients as well common people have fallen into deep confusion whether they could rely on hospitals in these aftermaths.
On the other hand, the people become helpless as they have to go to hospitals for their utmost necessity as there are no other alternatives.
Meanwhile, health service providers are in hesitations about sudden raid of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in hospitals.
In this circumstance, Health Ministry sent a letter to Home Ministry on Tuesday to stop raiding at hospitals without prior clearance.
The letter asked the Home Ministry to take concern from health ministry if it feels necessity to raid any hospital or clinic.
Public health experts are divided about continuing police raid in the hospitals and clinics which are involved in irregularities.
The experts said the anarchies revealed in health sectors are not desirable but inevitable as there is lack of adequate vigilance system to guide the hospitals for rending proper services to the people.
“A proper system to be instituted in the health system for monitoring and vigilance so that the criteria for licensing are properly fulfilled and the standards are continuously maintained,” said Professor Dr. M Muzaherul Huq, former Adviser of World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said, these are to be for medical college hospitals and other hospitals of both public and private sectors. Similar approach also should be followed pathology and diagnostic centers, he added.
The professor however said, sporadic raids or raids on complain to be also continued till the inspection system is properly functioning.
Besides, Professor Dr. Benazir Ahmed said, “I cannot understand why police need to get permission before raiding any hospital where irregularities are occurred? I think the monitoring should be intensified. If police has to apply for permission repeatedly, then when they will start a drive?”
Contacted, Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) said, “There are irregularities in the health sector for a long time. It has increased in the last 50 years. So it will not be eliminated overnight.”
He stressed for strong monitoring to remove of all corruptions from health sectors.
