Photo : Collected
It is observed that many physicians have established affiliations with numerous diagnostic centers that have emerged in the country over the last few decades. Several of these purported diagnostic centers lack proper registration or licenses. Even among those with proper registration and licenses, a close examination often reveals serious deficiencies in the training and qualifications of their doctors, technicians, and support staff. Despite this, they manage to evade oversight from authorities responsible for regulating such deceptive and risky operations.
Of greater concern is the covert relationship between these centers and doctors. Doctors tend to recommend specific centers to patients, and for each recommendation, a portion of the charged fee is set aside for the recommending doctor. This creates a temptation for doctors to suggest an extensive list of tests for a single patient, even if only a few tests are necessary. Patients may suffer from either undergoing tests in dubious diagnostic centers or, even if recommended to centers with acceptable standards, being compelled to undergo unnecessary tests.
The consultation fee for a doctor with a basic MBBS degree in routine cases like cold or influenza should not exceed 50 Taka. However, in many cases, MBBS doctors charge not less than 100 Taka for prescribing medications for common colds, and some charge even higher amounts. Specialist doctors typically charge a minimum consultation fee of 1500 Taka. Regulations in this field are scarce, and consultation fees continue to rise, burdening patients.
The public healthcare system fails to meet the expectations and needs of many medical care seekers, plagued by corruption, lack of care, and accountability. Faced with this, patients turn to private medical services in hopes of more dependable and effective treatment. While world-class private hospitals have been established in Dhaka, they are accessible to only a limited number of people due to high costs. Most people of modest means rely on less impressive privately run medical facilities, exposing them to unethical practices and often leaving them dissatisfied.
The government faces a dual challenge: to enhance services in the public medical system and, equally importantly, to intensify regulatory and supervisory efforts to improve all aspects of privately offered medical care systems.
Complaints have been frequent about the production and marketing of substandard and fake drugs, as well as persons posing as doctors without proper medical education. In response, government health authorities initiated crackdowns on offenders. Raids were conducted on medical shops in the Mitford area of the city engaging in such serious offenses. However, the owners of these shops retaliated by shutting down their establishments, demanding compensation from the government. This highlights a concerning trend where those responsible for wrongdoing seek compensation for rightful actions taken by the government, jeopardizing the access to medicine for helpless users.
The inhumane behavior exhibited by medicine shop owners has caused immense suffering to hundreds of thousands of people with serious diseases. Thus, it is imperative to ensure proper conduct throughout the entire realm of medical care.
Messenger/Fameema
