Staff Reporter :
The head office of Regent Group and its two hospitals in the capital’s Uttara and Mirpur areas have been sealed off on charges of various allegations, including providing fake Covid-19 test reports and embezzling over Tk3.5 crore in the name of corona test and treatments.
A mobile court of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) conducted a drive at the head office of Regent Group in the city’s Uttara area.
RAB executive magistrate Sarwoer Alam began the operation together with forces from Rab-1 after 3pm on Tuesday.
Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shaheed’s car was seized at the beginning of the operation. They also sealed off the head office of the group, said Sarwoer Alam.
During the drive, Sarwoer said they recovered huge unapproved corona testing kits from the office.
He said they also found many fake corona test reports and certificates there.
As the two hospitals of the group were sealed off, he said the patients of those have been shifted other hospitals.
The magistrate said the hospital authorities have so far issued more than 10,000 Covid-19 test results though they only sent 4,200 samples at different government labs for tests. “They didn’t test the rest samples, but prepared fake reports and embezzled around Tk 3.5 crore.”
Initially, he said they received complaints about 14 fake reports provided by the hospital and verified those by the Institute of Public Health, and then decided to conduct the drive.
Besides, he said the hospital authorities were supposed provide Covid-19 patients treatment free of cost following an agreement with the government. “But they took money from the government and submitted bills to the government.”
Sarwoer said they will file a case against the high officials of the group, including its chairman and managing director for committing such offences.
Earlier on Monday, the elite force raided Regent Hospital’s Uttara and Mirpur branches in the capital and sealed off those for providing fake Covid-19 test reports and embezzling huge money from people in the name of corona test and treatments.
Besides, eight officials of the group were arrested for interrogation.
Meanwhile, many raised against the hospital for several times.
It was known that the relatives of the patients were not given any idea about the medical services and expenses. Corona report was given without sample test and treatment badly neglected. But unsolicited bills for lakhs of taka were taken.
An ordinary patient was given a bill for Tk 3.5 lakh for just 14 days treatment in this hospital.
According to the investigation, the relatives check the amount of oxygen in the patient’s body with an oximeter under selfs afford. But the hospital charged a bill for Tk 72,000 for this. The doctor’s fee was charged Tk 45 thousand.
Thus, the ghost bill of Tk 3 lakh 42 thousand was taken from the relatives of the corona patient.
Once relative of the victim told the media that he was not informed even after asking how much money required for the services.
In a reply, hospital’s staff said that let the patient admit first, don’t worry about the money. But finally he has been given a bill of around Tk three lakh.
Another victim who was treated at the hospital said that the medical system has become a syndicate. I have come a long way after selling my necklaces and ear-rings. According to the instructions, I was given many medicine. The price of each medicine was around Tk13/14 hundred. It cost around Tk six thousand per day. Above all, hospital handed me the bill of Tk 48 thousands.
That’s is why, many relatives of the patients have to rush to other hospitals.
Earlier on Monday, RAB conducted raids at the Uttara and Mirpur branches of the Regent Hospital and detained eight people.
Regent Hospital was one of the few private hospitals permitted to provide coronavirus treatment in March, when the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in Bangladesh.
The hospital even has an agreement with the Directorate General of Health Services that it would treat coronavirus patients for free.
However, the hospital was charging patients as well as submitted vouchers to the government claiming patients were being treated for free.
But reality is that the Regent Hospital would take Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500 for per corona test from the patients, said the RAB Executive Magistrate.
