Heyday of illegal hospitals in Habiganj

Amid concerns over alarming rise in privately operated illegal hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres -- most of which lack proper setup and prerequisites for their operations -- in the entire district of Habiganj, the district health authorities seem to be playing down the situation.

When concerned citizens are claiming that there are at least forty such illegal facilities that are fleecing the unsuspecting public in the district, Mukhlishur Rahman, deputy civil surgeon (DCS) of Habiganj, however, said only seven out of 131 private healthcare facilities in the district are illegally operating without licence.

The data gathered from recent drives conducted by the district administration against illegal healthcare centres in the district is also very different from that provided by the deputy civil surgeon.

After most of these establishments failed to comply with the government's directive of obtaining necessary licence by September 28, the Habiganj district administration started conducting raids against the rogue medical facilities.

A government physician requesting anonymity said a large number of illegal private healthcare facilities in the district did not bother to apply for the licence yet.

But the owners who submitted their licence applications online, did not even attach any invoice of licensing fees that they were required to pay at government banks, he also said.

As per DCS Mukhlishur Rahman, the seven illegal healthcare facilities in Habiganj are Khowai Hospital Pvt Ltd in Sabujbagh area, Prime Care Diagnostic Center in Old Hospital Road area and New Life Care Hospital Limited near Municipal Bus terminal of Habiganj town, The Apollo Diagnostic Center in Madhya Bazar area of Chunarughat upazila, The Care Hospital and Diagnostic Center in North Bazar of Madhabpur upazila, Doctors Diagnostic Center in Noapara of Madhabpur upazila and National Diagnostic Center in Madhabpur upazila town. 

But on November 15, when a mobile court led by Habiganj District Executive Magistrate Shamsuddin Md Reza conducted a drive in Shayestaganj upazila, it sealed off Popular Diagnostic Center on Shayestaganj Hospital Road for not having a licence.

The court also fined the authorities of Popular Tk 50 thousand for not ensuring a hygienic atmosphere and not having any certified medical practitioner at the facility, the magistrate told The Daily Star.

The same day, the court also closed down an illegal abortion clinic in the same area and sentenced its proprietor, Jayanti Rani, to six months' jail term for not having any licence for the clinic and for falsely claiming to be a medical practitioner registered by Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council.

These two illegal establishments in Shayestaganj were not mentioned in the list of illegal hospitals provided by the deputy civil surgeon of Habiganj.

Magistrate Shamsuddin also said in November alone, they shuttered and fined Khowai Hospital Pvt Ltd, Prime Care Diagnostic Center and New Life Care Hospital in Habiganj town for various violations including not possessing any licence. 

This correspondent during a recent visit to one of the illegal hospitals in Habiganj town found the inside of its operation theatre in an unhygienic condition and lacking standard operating equipment and accessories.

The reception and other areas of the facility were also not up to the mark, considering frequent surgeries, especially caesarean sections, being performed there almost every day.  

According to reliable sources at the health department, the hospital has been in service since 2014, but its authorities never even applied for its licence.

A senior official, asking not to be named, at the health department in Habiganj said all the illegal healthcare facilities in the district are either owned by or have blessings of influential locals.   

Tofazzal Sohel, coordinator of 'Habiganj Shankhubdho Nagorik Andolan', told this correspondent that Habiganj district has more than 40 illegal medical facilities -- mostly thriving on caesarean child delivery business -- that do not have proper setup, waste management mechanism or adequate registered physicians and trained staff for providing proper medical care.

Taking advantage of poor services and mismanagement at government hospitals, the owners of these illegal medical facilities are making brisk business and charging fees at will, he added.  

Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, deputy commissioner of Habiganj, told this correspondent that according to the Medical Services Act, all medical facilities have to obtain licence from the government for operating under different categories and their licences have to be renewed as per rules.

The district administration has been conducting mobile courts at private healthcare facilities to enforce applicable laws, he added.