8,627pvt hospitals without licence, apply for first time

At least 8,627 private health facilities that are operating without licence across the country applied for licence for the first time after the government recently warned of punishment for the unlicensed private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks.

The Directorate General of Health Services believes still many errant private health facilities have not applied.

‘We have directed the field-level authorities to shut down the facilities who have not applied for licenses yet,’ said DGHS director of hospitals and clinics wing Farid Uddin Miah.

After the Regent Hospital scam was unveiled and it was found that the hospital licence had expired in 2014 but it secured a deal with the government to treat COVID-19 patients, the DGHS faced an image crisis.

The hospitals wing director Aminul Hasan was removed and made officer on special duty after the Regent scam surfaced.

The health ministry on July 24 set a deadline for obtaining licences for private health facilities and their renewal by August 23.

But, despite passing more than a month after the deadline, the DGHS’s hospital wing received 13,043 applications for the registration of hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks, including 8,627 new applications.

Now the country has only 5,483 licenced private health facilities, 3,481 of them get licence for first time and 2,002 of which had licence earlier and renewed as well, according to the DGHS record until Monday.

The applications of the 7,560 were under scrutiny and remained pending under categories such as ‘under review’, ‘faulty applications’, ‘waiting for inspections’ and ‘inspection done’.

‘We could not dispose of the applications as the process is time consuming while we have manpower shortage in the hospital wing,’ said Farid.

‘Those who have applied for licences, they would be exempted from penalties,’ he said.

DGHS officials said among the pending 7,560 applications, the formalities before the decision to issue licences for 1,288 health facilities have been completed, but they are yet to get their licences.

Besides, applications of 1,051 private health facilities also await review, applications of 3,318 were found faulty and were asked to resubmit after corrections and 1,922 were waiting for physical inspection, according to the DGHS hospital wing.

Farid said that the issuance of licences and their renewal is a lengthy process.

‘Those who have already applied for licences or for renewal, they will not be considered unlicensed,’ he said.

‘Directives were already sent to the field level to shut down the facilities that did not apply for licenses,’ he added.

Asked about how many health facilities are in the country which never applied for the license, Farid

said it was under scrutiny and the numbers could not be provided now.

‘Civil surgeons have been directed to locate such private health facilities,’ he said. 

Private health facilities, including hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks are required to apply online for getting their licences or renewal of licenses with the DGHS each financial year.

The facilities are inspected by the DGHS after the applications are placed.

The condition of the health facilities, services, manpower, equipment and licenses from the narcotics directorate, environment directorate and fire service directorates are inspected by the DGHS.

The hospitals wing of DGHS is run by few officials, under an organogram of 1980, said Farid.

The hospitals wing comprises mere 13 officers, including directors, people responsible for monitoring, inspection, evaluation and obtaining licenses of hospitals across the country, he said.

Transparency International Bangladesh in a study in 2018 said that with the motive to make a quick profits, private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres grew fast in the country.

It found that due to mostly unregulated, privately-run health facilities are beset with irregularities.

TIB found that the crisis became acute due to the DGHS regulatory officials overlooking the irregularities in private hospitals owned by fellow doctors.

TIB recommended that independent commission be appointed to oversee private hospitals and diagnostic centres. Bangladesh Private Hospitals, Clinics and Diagnostic Centres’ Owners Association president Manuruzzaman Bhuyan said that they want the DGHS take stern actions against the errant health facilities. ‘Such unscrupulous private hospitals are a threat to the public health and also a matter of shame for the private hospital owners,’ he said.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net