Dhaka Bureau: The Health Directorate has found 1,205 unregistered hospitals across the country. The operations of 731 of these hospitals have already been suspended. The Directorate of Health got this information by raiding the entire country from January 15 to 25. On Monday (January 29) afternoon, the related documents were sent from the Health Department to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Sources from the Department of Health said that after the death of baby Ayaan while undergoing circumcision at the United Medical College Hospital in the capital, it was learned that the hospital was not registered to conduct the treatment. Even though they were conducting the activities without making any application in this regard to the health department, After knowing the matter, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, ordered the list of unregistered private hospitals across the country.
After the directive of the minister on January 15, the director of the hospital and clinic branch of the health department (acting), Dr. Abu Hossain Md. Moinul Ahsan, wrote a letter to all departmental directors and civil surgeons in the country. The letter asked to send the list of unregistered private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers, and blood banks in their respective areas within seven working days.
Sources also said that on January 18, the director of the hospital and clinic wing of the health department wrote to all departmental directors, civil surgeons, and upazila health and family planning officers of the country to urgently close all unlicensed or illegal private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers, and blood banks in their respective areas. Ordered to take action. At the same time, the list of closures is requested to be sent through the Divisional Director.
An official of the Department of Health, who did not wish to be named, said that almost 60 percent of upazila-level clinics and diagnostic centers are unregistered. District and Upazila hospitals are controlled by civil surgeons. Therefore, if no one applies to the civil surgeon’s office, it remains unknown where a clinic has been established.
In this regard, the additional director general of the Department of Health, Dr. Ahmadul Kabir, said, “Before this, I once conducted an operation against unlicensed private hospitals and clinics across the country. After that, everyone is forced to get a license. Such activities should be undertaken again.
Meanwhile, a legal notice has been sent to the director general of the health department to close unlicensed clinics and hospitals. This notice is sent asking why legal action should not be taken against unlicensed medical clinics and those involved in medical negligence cases nationwide. Advocate Raihan Gazi sent this notice yesterday, Monday.
According to the legal notice, recently, districts, upazilas, police stations, municipalities, and union parishes of the whole country, including Dhaka city, were without the relevant medical treatment certificate, that is, unlicensed fake doctors, unlicensed nurses, unlicensed hospitals with staff, clinics, fake chambers, middle class, poor, and helpless. Plain and simple, individuals are experiencing massive physical, emotional, and financial harm in seeking medical care. Taking these matters into consideration, the Health Department authorities are urged to close down unlicensed fake doctors, incompetent nurses, staff, unlicensed hospitals, and clinics and take appropriate action in court and under other prevailing laws within 30 days of receiving the legal notice. Otherwise, appropriate action will be taken as per the prevailing laws of the country, as the notice also mentioned.
