Mohiuddin’s hospital fined
A taskforce formed by the health ministry on Monday afternoon launched a drive at City Medical College Hospital at Chandana intersection of Gazipur and fined the hospital authorities Tk 7.5 lakh for operating without license and poor treatment facilities.
Health ministry officials said that the 500-bed City Medical College Hospital, owned by Awami League member of parliament and former home minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, was in operation for the past six years without any legal approval and without the minimum facilities for medical treatment.
The hospital had opened 100-bed COVID-19 unit without any permission, which it shut down after the Regent Hospital raid in the capital’s Uttara.
The Rapid Action Battalion was assisting the taskforce during the operation.
There are numerous allegations of mismanagement and irregularities against the hospital, said RAB’s executive magistrate Sarwoer Alam, who led the taskforce.
The taskforce included joint secretary (hospitals) of the health ministry, Umme Salma Tanzia, and Gazipur RAB-1 camp commander Abdullah Al Mamun.
Those conducting the drive said that the lab in City Medical College Hospital had no approval.
‘There are many other instances of mismanagement there,’ said Umme Salma.
Health ministry officials said that the 500-bed City Medical College Hospital, owned by Awami League member of parliament and former home minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, was in operation for the past six years without any legal approval and without the minimum facilities for medical treatment.
The City Medical College was also admitting students on special consideration for the last few years, despite lacking proper facilities and infrastructures.
The drive came days after the RAB mobile court busted two major COVID-19 treatment and testing scams in Regent Hospital of Uttara and Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital of Gulshan in the capital.
During Monday’s operation, RAB magistrate Sarwoer said that the City Medical College Hospital does not have any license and surgical equipment found inside operation theaters expired five-to six years ago.
Surgeries with these equipment might cause more damage to patients and doctors at the hospitals, said Sarwoer.
He said that the hospital was conducting blood transfusion without any approval from the authorities.
‘The health ministry asked all private hospitals and clinics to apply for getting or renewing licenses by the government-set deadline of August 23. That is why we are not sealing the hospital off, instead giving them a timeframe to apply for license and improve their treatment facilities. If they fail to do so, we will then seal the facilities off,’ said the executive magistrate.
The taskforce also fined Tk 3.5 lakh to Seba General Hospital at Chandana Intersection of Gazipur for using expired, medicines, medical and surgical equipment and illegal blood transfusion.
On July 6, the RAB mobile court led by Sarwoer unearthed a huge scam of COVID-19 test report forgery at Regent Hospital’s Uttara branch and then sealed off both Uttara and Mirpur branch of the hospital as well as its headquarters.
Two weeks later, the RAB unearthed yet another unauthorised COVID-19 testing scam involving Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital in Gulshan and arrested three officials.
Last month, the government had suspended permission to conduct COVID-19 tests at five private hospitals and diagnostic centres, including Shahabuddin Medical, in the country.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
