Staff Reporter :
Drivers, office assistants and other officials of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Health Service Division of the Health Ministry have become billionaires involving with various irregularities like recruitment, transfer and controlling contractors.
Of them, at least 10 third class employees like drivers, store keepers and office assistants, in collusion with some bigwig of the sector, have made crores of money.
According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), 27 officers and employees of the DGHS are under surveillance of the ACC and investigation about the source of illegal assets of the officials is undergoing.
Among the officials and employees are 12 of the DGHS, 5 of different hospitals and offices inside Dhaka and 10 of different hospitals and offices outside Dhaka, ACC sources said.
They said most of the officials and employees have become owners of crores of money by involving with various irregularities like recruitment, transfer and controlling of contractors using power in their respected institutions. Everyone is accused of amassing illegal wealth, using luxury cars and abusing power.
Of the third class officers, Najim Uddin, a store officer of the Syed Tajuddin Medical College and Hospital in Gazipur, and his family members have several luxurious cars and houses in Dhaka and Gazipur, it is learnt.
It is also alleged that Najim’s wife Firoza Begum, owner of R F N enterprise, supplied medical equipments to the hospital and as a store keeper, Najim took commission from the other contractors using his power.
Corruption analysts said that syndicates in collusion with bigwigs spread corruption at every stage of the Health Ministry and the bigwig must be uprooted to curb the corruption from the sector.
“Corruption in the health sector has become institutionalized with the help of a vested quarter,” said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB.
“The syndicates are well established here. Those, who have been detained so far, are lower class officers and employees. The influential must be identified and brought to justice,” he said.
Iqbal Arsnal, President of the Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad, thinks that the Health Ministry cannot avoid the responsibility of such corruption.
“The officials of the DGHS and the Ministry have become the owners of huge assets amidst corruption and irregularities. So, it is necessary to bring the bigwig under the law to curb corruption,” he said.
