A report in a national daily on Friday said the Health Ministry has asked the Home Ministry to keep law enforcement agencies away from raiding private hospitals and clinics and has also asked health officials at all levels not to speak with the media. The Health Ministry on Monday made the request arguing such raids are interrupting routine work at private hospitals and spreading panic. It said raids can only be carried out with prior permission.
It is too late to realise that the police and RAB are not meant for running the government. The ministers have to prove their competence to run the ministries.
As it appears the Health Ministry has taken the unusual decision on pressure from the powerful Bangladesh Private Medical College Association following the arrest of two medical staff by RAB at Sahabuddin Medical College and Hospital in the city last week for issuing false Covid-19 test reports.
Earlier RAB arrested owners of Regent Hospital and JKG Health Care Clinic – who were known darlings of many ruling party leaders – for issuing several thousand false Covid-19 test reports in each case. They realized inflated bills from patients while presenting bills to the government for reimbursement on the grounds that they were providing treatment free of cost. The exposure was highly embarrassing to the government.
The Health Ministry has apparently decided now not to pursue crimes in private hospitals, because they are owned by the government’s own people. Its leaders fear every such action would expose its corrupt face and the failure to create enough treatment facilities for corona patients while their cronies made illegal fortunes.
The government is sitting on a pyramid of corruption and the health sector which is thriving on illegal tenders and commission business can hardly be expected to ensure untainted treatment to people. So the health officials from upazila to the top have been asked not to talk to media to keep secret health service related failures. Such a situation can’t continue any longer.
