A NATIONAL daily reported on Thursday that the 500-bed Mugda hospital in the city is lying almost idle with 143 physicians but the patients has never exceeded 200 since it has been opened in 2013. This is in contrast with other city hospitals; where patients are overcrowding and even treated on the floor in absence of available seats and treatment facilities. It has moreover become an iconic place of corruption and misuse of government funds under the cover of procurement of equipment and medicine to help mint illegal fortune by people powerful within the government. It appears there is none to look into the matter.
Many has raised question as to why the government has set up the giant 13 storied hospital over 9.52 acres land with huge cost with a beautiful overview if it is not serving the people and rather exploited for swindling of budgetary funds. The report has quoted knowledgeable sources as saying that most physicians remain routinely absent enjoying impunity from accountability because they are either posted on recommendations of Ministers and ruling party lawmakers or they belong to the government supported doctors association. Patients now turn back from the hospital door while doctors claim it has not enough equipment at a time when the Health Ministry is spending a lot for procurement purpose. It is pointed out by many that the former BNP government had laid the foundation stone of the hospital at the fag end of its office and the present government may be lacking interest in it.
As it appears local people don’t take the hospital seriously now and travel to other city hospitals for treatment when it remains totally underutilized. The previous government had planned the hospital exclusively for patients from the eastern part of the city and outside. But the hospital is not only failing to serve the people many wonder as to why the Health Ministry and the Directorate of Health are not taking appropriate steps to make it properly functional taking into account the overall public interest.
The bigger attraction of this hospital now seems to be rather its huge procurement contracts under fake trade documents. The hospital reportedly floated procurement tender of Tk 300 crore in recent past and a lone person submitted five bids with letter-heads of separate firms to control the business. The hospital procured equipment worth Tk 200 crore but to the surprise of many, the hospital doesn’t know its whereabouts.
It is indeed unclear why the hospital has remained ignored and the government owes an explanation to the nation about it.
