DGHS closes 92 healthcare facilities

Health officials yesterday shut down 92 illegal private healthcare facilities across the country.

Of those, eight were in Dhaka, 23 in Chattogram, 34 in Mymensingh, 10 each in Rajshahi, Khulna and seven in Rangpur, Dewan Md Mehedi Hasan, medical officer (hospitals and clinics) at the Directorate General of Health Services, told The Daily Star.

"The drive will continue until Thursday," Sheikh Daud Adnan, deputy director (hospitals and clinics) at the DGHS, told this newspaper yesterday.

Around noon, six teams from the health directorate started the drive in their designated areas in the capital.

At Hair Transplant and Cosmetic Surgery Centre in Banani, officials found that nurses were transplanting hair on a patient without the presence of any physicians.

The clinic has an operating theatre, but no authorised doctors to run it.

Prof Ahmedul Kabir, additional director general (administration) of the DGHS, told reporters that the clinic was run using the name of an Indian dermatologist who used to visit. The Indian doctor recently stopped visiting.

The clinic was later closed.

In Banani, another clinic named Dhaka Pain and Spine Centre was also sealed for not having its licence renewed, said an official.

Health officials closed Khidmah Lifecare Diagnostic Centre in Lalbagh and Dhaka General Hospital in Chawkbazar for not having authorisation.

Other clinics closed in the capital are: Khilgaon General Hospital, Central Basabo General Hospital in Khilgaon, Kanak General Hospital in Matuail, and Salman General Hospital in Shanir Akhra.

Meanwhile, the civil surgeon of Chattogram city closed two private hospitals over various irregularities, reports our correspondent.

The hospitals are: Desh Hospital in Chatteshwari Road area and Treatment Eye Hospital near Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

A team, led by Civil Surgeon Elias Chowdhury, also warned two other hospitals -- Health Home Private Ltd and the Fair Health -- as they found some irregularities.

After a three-month gap, the health directorate resumed its drive against unregistered hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres countrywide.

The healthcare facilities that have already sought but are yet to get registration will also not be allowed to run, Prof Ahmedul Kabir said while announcing the drive at a press conference on Sunday.