Patients’ sufferings mount due to excessive and in most cases for unnecessary medical tests as per doctors’ suggestions.
There are a lot of allegations against the physicians in hospitals, clinics and private chambers that they often suggest patients to bring medical test reports from certain pathological laboratories, which are expensive and mostly unnecessary for many of them.
Sources said, the physicians get about 40 to 50 per cent commission for almost every case of pathological tests.
On the other hand, the pathological laboratories frequently violate the government fixed rates in medical tests and do not follow the directive to hang rate chart issued by the Ministry concerned.
Health experts said, in some cases it is necessary to undergo some medical tests, but nowadays, it becomes a serious problem for the patients especially the lower income group people to bear huge amount of expenditures for pathological test.
Experts and sufferers said that in most private laboratories, no rate chart is found though it is compulsory to hang it in visible places in those centers, as no agencies monitor it properly.
Experts said it is happening for long as no stern actions have taken against the culprits involved in the irregularities it.
On the other hand, there are lack of policies and rules to identify and punish the culprits.
The sufferers said, increasing number of tests may be good for better treatment. But the physicians should understand that many people have no capabilities to afford high expenses, like taking treatment from Europe and America.
Elahi Ahmed, a furniture factory worker of Jurain area in the capital becomes empty pocket spending huge money for the very same reason.
He spent all of his savings behind pathological tests as per suggestion of a city hospital doctor for his wife and child’s skin disease treatment recently.
“I have brought my wife and child from village home to visit doctor in a city hospital. I hoped better treatment would be given here, but I was surprised seeing the expenditure of pathological tests. I had no idea that about five thousand taka to be needed for skin disease tests,” he said.
Many other patients alleged that in every case the doctors suggest for medical test costing of up to Tk 10,000 which is unbearable for most patients.
When contacted Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) told The New Nation on Tuesday, “As a physician, we are fighting for long days to stop the unethical practice, but it has not been stopped yet. Strong syndicates of influential quarter are behind it. The government has to take stern measures to root out the bad practice.”
“Besides, the powerful organizations of physicians also should have to come ahead together to stop it as they have capability and they know well that how much sufferings are creating by these money mongers-greedy, dishonest circles to the limited-income group people,” Professor Nazrul Islam said.
Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Secretary General Dr. Ehteshamul Huq Choudhury told The Nation on Tuesday, “We have been suggesting for a long that the government must take a strong policy to stop the unethical pathological tests business.”
“There is a light of hope we have seen as the Health Ministry has recently initiated a task to take a strong policy regarding physicians, practices prescribing on pathological tests,” said BMA Secretary General.
Expressing anxiety, Dr. Ehteshamul Huq Choudhury said, BMA is trying its best to stop such unethical practices but a strong monitoring is needed from the government, which is delaying for a section of dishonest bureaucrats.
He said the bureaucrats are delaying the drafts policies on the name of coronovirus pandemic.
“We have strongly demanded to complete the work quickly so that the patients as well the people of the country get relieved from the burden of unnecessary pathological tests.
Bangladesh Doctors’ Foundation (BDF) Chairman Dr Shahed Rafi Pavel told The New Nation, “Commission business is the main factor behind the unnecessary and excessive pathological test suggestions. There are number of pathological laboratories found mostly in front of renowned big hospitals and clinics. In most cases it has been found that a good number of those pathological centers have no laboratories. But they are doing business well. Patients rush there all-time. Some agents, even some physicians are involved with the commission business.”
He said that the low quality pathological laboratories pay a certain amount from the test earnings as per their secret understanding with some doctors and agents.
He farther said laboratories with quality cannot give percentage to agents because they cannot afford it as there are good amount of costing in lab tests.
In this view, Dr. Pavel has suggested the government to search, identify and seal off all low quality, unqualified and sub-standard pathological laboratories soon.
BDF Chairman said that it has become a social disease like institutional corruption.
He suggested all stakeholders including, government, physicians and people to be aware of inhuman activities.
Professor Dr. Nasima Sultana, Additional Director of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) could not be received despite repeated phone calls last night.
