The 25-bed Patuakhali BNSB Eye Hospital was set up on 0.66 acres of land at Kaler Pukar Par by Andheri Hilfe Bonn, a German donor agency. The land was donated by Patuakhali municipality.

Over the years, eight doctors and seven paramedics left the hospital and the number of patients visiting it dwindled to half due to decline in treatment facilities and mismanagement, sources there said.

The donor agency in a letter asked its local management committee to improve the overall condition to get fresh assistance. The letter from Germany singed by Elvira Greiner, president of the donor agency, reached the hospital on June 22, sources said.

It asked for meeting six conditions including holding of a free and fair election to the 19-member 'local executive committee' that runs the hospital and resignation of its secretary Mostaq Ahmed Pinu, who is also chairman of Patuakhali pourasabha.

The letter followed a board meeting of the donor agency held in Germany on June 8 that reviewed a nine-page report sent by a probe committee after visiting the hospital.

The letter said further funding to be considered only after resignation of Pinu from the committee and meeting other conditions.

The conditions include changes in the management committee, placing adequate staff at operations level, fulfilling all recommendations of the probe team, investigation into the 'role' of former chief consultant and her business network built allegedly by using the hospital facilities.

Hospital sources said, the three-year term of a regular local executive committee headed by Abdul Haq, former pourasabha chairman, expired on July 31 last year. Abdul Haq extended its tenure for six months illegally without holding any general meeting of the committee.

Later, a new committee headed by a local BNP leader was formed allegedly violating rules. The new committee is yet to be approved by CARITAS, an NGO, which along with Bangladesh National Society for Blind (BNSB) looks after the hospital.

As per agreement, Andheri Hilfe Bonn bore all expenditures of the hospital for ten years, which expired in 2002. The donor agency stopped funding the hospital since then after finding irregularities, the sources said.

But it continued funds for two programmesorganising 20 eye camps in remote areas and at primary schools.

A three-member investigation team formed by the donor agency led by Dr. K Zaman, honorary general secretary of BNSB eye hospital in Mymensingn, visited the hospital during April 12-14 in 2004.

The probe team submitted a nine-page report on the hospital to higher authorities in Andheri Hilfe Bonn in Germany and to CARITAS for necessary action.

The sources claimed that the report identified former consultant as the 'main cause of corruption and irregularities'.

It said the chief consultant, who was the 'most powerful woman' in the hospital and no one could do anything without her permission. She controlled all departments. There were allegations of misbehaviour by her.

The consultant had an unauthorised eye clinic at her residence where she engaged hospital staff and used all facilities at BNSB Eye Hospital for her private clinic. At times medicines were also taken to her clinic, the sources said quoting the probe report.

Since 1997, 12 doctors left the BNSB hospital due to alleged mismanagement by the former chief consultant. They are Dr. Shafique, Dr. Parimol, Dr. Monjur, Dr. Mainul, Dr. Shahana Mustari, Dr. Poal, Dr. Shahinur, Dr. Kabir, Dr. Lokman Hakim, Dr. Jalil, Dr. Sabur and Dr. Zahid Hasan. Only three doctors against seven posts are working there now.

Eight paramedics also left the hospital. The authorities recruited seven new ones.

Report also added that one cleaner was suspended last year because he was caught while taking a patient to the consultant's private clinic from the hospital.

The number of patients decreased day by day because of mismanagement and lack of proper treatment facilities.

Now 100 to 125 patients come to the hospital a day, which over 200 a year ago, sources said.

The probe report suggested removal of the chief consultant within two months as a 'penal measure'.

Following the report, the chief consultant was removed on April 30 this year.

Sources said monthly average income of the hospital has declined to around Tk 2 lakh from Tk 4 lakh three years back. The average expenditure is over Tk 3 lakh. The excess expenditure is being met from earlier bank deposit.

When contacted, Abdul Haq, declined to comment.

When contacted Mostaq Ahmed Pinu said, "We have already signed a contract with CAM, another international donor agency, which will assist us because they (Andheri Hilfe) are not in good terms with me. The hospital has Tk 8 lakh savings bonds which will mature soon and we will get over Tk 20 lakh. We will pay arrears staff salaries with this money."