Bangladesh News

Patients have to pay Tk 40.48 lakh in bribes a year for seats at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) while many of its third grade employees paid Tk 50,000 to Tk 2.5 lakh in bribes for getting jobs.
An investigation report by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) also said 32 per cent patients at DMCH have to pay bribe for seats, which is Tk 188 per seat on an average.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) organised the roundtable at the VIP lounge of Jatiya Press Club on the occasion of publication of its investigative report on corruption at DMCH.

Food worth around Tk 1.15 crore is wasted every year as many patients do not take hospital foods for which there is government allocation, the report said.

Although the price of an outdoor ticket is Tk 5 only, the corrupt employees often charge its double and 29 per cent outdoor patients pay Tk 21 on an average as bribe for doctors’ consultations.

Speakers at the roundtable blamed a mafia gang comprising influential 3rd grade employees for massive corruption, mismanagement, harassment and negligence to the patients at the country’s premier hospital.

They suggested giving the hospital management the ‘authority to hire and fire’ the employees to put an end to the mafia gang’s dominance.

Often the doctors and nurses become hostage to the gang as the employees’ jobs are not transferable. The corrupt employees are also involved with the pilferage of medicine and medical equipment from the hospital.

The TIB report disclosed that 60 per cent of employees at the hospital got appointment by paying handsome amount as bribe.

The report found DMCH a ‘den of corruption and mismanagement’ where patients often face harassment and negligence by the doctors, nurses and employees.

The TIB recommended appointment of an ombudsman for health sector, increasing the number of beds, more allocation for equipment and increasing the allowances for the intern doctors at the hospital.

The TIB report also cited the areas of mismanagement in the hospital, particularly demanding bribe for seat allocation, medicine, extra care and appointment of food suppliers.

TIB trustee board Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmed chaired the discussion.

“The mafia gang is controlling everything from admission of the patients to appointment of employees,” said Dr Sarwar Ali, former general secretary of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA).

He suggested autonomy of the hospital and said, “Without the authority to hire and fire, the hospital can not get rid of this evil cycle.”

Echoing the same view, Dr Yasmin Ahmed said the situation is almost similar in all government-run hospitals in the country.

She suggested moral teachings to the students as well as technical knowledge for bringing discipline in the public hospitals.

Dr Abdul Mannan, former president of BMA, suggested medical education in mother tongue for better understanding of the patients’ problems. He also suggested people’s involvement with the hospital management for improving the situation.

Muzaffer Ahmed said the DMCH authorities did not provide required assistance for conducting the study and the TIB faced tremendous difficulties in getting information from the DMCH.

The report is still a draft and will be completed later, he said.

Half of the patients were not supposed to come to DMCH if they had been treated at the local hospitals, Dr Zafarullah said, adding that the situation will not improve if the influences of third grade employees are not curtailed.

He criticised sending patients from government hospital to private institutions for diagnosis.

Dr Zafarullah suggested charging fees at the public hospitals for food and giving a list of medicines to be provided for reducing corruption.

Abdus Salam, a director of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, opposed private practice by the government doctors. Instead of allowing them private practice the salary and facilities should be increased, he said.

He said the political parties should have commitment and be involved with hospital management for improving the situation.

The TIB investigation disclosed that 71 per cent patients did not find doctors at the outdoor during the duty hours.

Twenty per cent patients do not get seats at the hospital and on an average spend four days on the floor. Fifty per cent outdoor patients were suggested specific private diagnostic centres for test.

Sixty per cent patients take hospital foods and 31 per cent described its standard as unsatisfactory, the report said.