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Most pvt hospital doctors skip duty

DNCRP launches spl drive in the city to make list of absentees


| Updated: April 05, 2020 16:55:11


An illustrative image. — Collected Photo An illustrative image. — Collected Photo

A day after the health minister's warning, the Directorate of National Consumers Rights Protection (DNCRP) on Saturday launched a special drive at the capital's private healthcare centres to make a list of physicians who have been abstaining from their workplaces for fear of COVID-19 infection.

While conducting inspection in a number of private hospitals, the officials of the directorate found most doctors of the facilities have been skipping their duty for days together.

They launched the drive in the capital's well-recognised private health facilities, including Labaid Hospital, Square Hospital, Shomorita Hospital, BRB Hospital, Greenlife Hospital, Comfort Hospital, and Anwar Khan Modern Hospital.

The inspection was launched following allegations about sudden non-availability of healthcare professionals at their places of work. The doctors are staying at home for fear of coronavirus infection.

The Dhaka division office of DNCRP carried out the inspection under the leadership of its deputy director Monjur Mohammad Shariar.

Talking to the FE, Mr Shariar said they have been receiving information through media and other sources that private healthcare centers have virtually stopped providing treatment to patients being scared of corona infection.

"What we have found during our inspection is very unfortunate. Healthcare is one of the basic rights of the people. That is why the government has kept this service out of the ongoing holiday," he said.

Citing an example, he said some 18 doctors used to run their individual chambers at Comfort Hospital on Green Road but they found only four physicians present.

"The rest of doctors kept their chambers shut. The situation with other hospitals remains the same. If physicians stop caring for patients, then where people suffering from various ailments will go? We cannot let our people die without treatment. It cannot be accepted at all," he said.

Mr Shariar said they have also asked the hospital authorities to send them a list of the doctors who have been skipping duty.

Seeking anonymity, another official who was part of the drive said they also observed the lack of willingness among private hospitals authorities to treat patients suffering from fever, cold and cough.

"We gave them warning not to do that and the hospitals also made commitment that no such patients will go back untreated," he said.

The directorate have also asked the management of hospitals to provide it with the lists of errant doctors. "We'll continue the drive in other private medicare centers. We'll also revisit the hospitals already inspected to see if there was any positive change," he said.

According to them, the directorate will soon send a report to the ministry concerned with a plea of taking legal action against the physicians and healthcare centres.

Health minister Zahid Maleque on Friday expressed his dissatisfaction over the halt of private practice and sudden abstention of healthcare professionals from private medicare centres.

The minister had asked the errant physicians to return to duty to avert stern action by the government.

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