THE Health Directorate
has asked civil surgeons to ensure that all unauthorised private
hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres are shut down as soon as
possible. The order comes at a time when nearly 3,000 private healthcare
establishments have failed to apply online for licences within the
August 23 deadline. Nearly 13,000 such organisations applied online for
licences within the deadline and nearly 2,800 others did not apply.
Without developing a country's healthcare system, how a country becomes
'development surprise'. The large conglomerates and government must
focus on moulding the country's healthcare system affordable and
competent.
In August, Health Ministry said all private medical
colleges, hospitals and clinics must apply for licences -- either to
renew them or get new ones. The announcement came after the
much-talked-about Regent Hospital scam involving Covid-19 tests came to
light during the first week of July. The Directorate General of Health
Services (DGHS) has issued licences to 6,067 private healthcare
establishments. With the surge of Covid-19 infection rate and possible
second wave of pandemic, the healthcare system is still lag in
dilapidated condition. Politicians, bureaucrats, government high-ups,
business leaders all are dependent on posh private hospitals or
hospitals in developed countries.
It is essential for our government
to take some radical steps now to resuscitate the catastrophic
healthcare system of our country. At present, we are at the mercy of
private healthcare and it needs to change and stringent laws need to be
implemented to regulate these hospitals. The first step the government
can consider is ensuring accountability. Secondly, fixing unethical
practices within the system, such as the interaction of pharmaceutical
companies and physicians, which is very prominent. Pharmaceutical
companies in Bangladesh spend over Tk 6,000 crore on marketing every
year, and a major chunk of this is utilised as gifts for physicians who
prescribe their medicine. Regulators have to look into such malpractices
that are rife in our system. Nonetheless, "corruption" remains the
iceberg of our sinking healthcare system. If steps are not taken to
eradicate or even reduce corruption, we will end up at the point of
irreparable damage.