No new clinics, private practice within 1km of govt hospitals: DGHS

The government has decided not to allow any new private clinic to be established within one kilometre of a government hospital, while doctors working at government hospitals will also be barred from practising at existing private clinics within the same radius.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued the directive yesterday, referring to a decision taken at a meeting on improving the quality of healthcare held at the Prime Minister’s Office on August 17.

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“According to decision no 6 of the meeting, permission cannot be granted to establish any new clinic within one kilometre of a government hospital. At the same time, doctors of any government hospital cannot practice at existing clinics within the said boundary,” the letter reads.

The meeting was chaired by the PM, Nurul Islam, director (hospital) of the DGHS, told The Daily Star today.

The directive comes amid the widespread establishment of private clinics around public hospitals. A common allegation against these clinics is that they lure patients away from crowded public hospitals through brokers.

It is also common for government doctors to practise at private clinics after their official working hours.

DGHS directed its divisional directors, civil surgeons, and upazila health and family planning officers to take necessary steps to implement the decision and inform the directorate of the measures taken.