Malpractice in tests brings woe to MMCH patients

Treatment seekers at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) are often exploited as a large number of brokers are engaged in trapping them into getting pathological and X-ray tests done at specific private clinics and diagnostic centres.

The brokers, numbering over 200, roam around the hospital, especially at the emergency ward gate, out-door, and the corridors of radiology and imaging, and pathology departments, said sources.

When patients need pathological or X-ray tests, the brokers come forward and say names of specific clinics and private hospitals to do 'perfect tests with less cost'.

The brokers, involved with an organised gang comprising a section of hospital doctors, technicians and staff, harass patients and their attendants if they repeatedly decline brokers' proposal, alleged the stakeholders and hospital insiders.

A section of technicians of the departments concerned allow the brokers to stay inside the departments' corridors during work hours for 'commission facilities', they said.

Sometimes technicians concerned discourage the patients' attendants to conduct tests at the hospital, saying about poor condition of hospital machines or delay in conducting the tests there, said several attendants.

A section of doctors also mention names of specific diagnostic centres for tests and reject the reports if the tests are not done there, they said.

On an average, the 1000-bed MMCH has to accommodate some 2200 regular admitted patients, hospital sources said.

Contacted, Mymensingh Civil Surgeon Dr AKM Mustafa Kamal said, brokers must be driven out from government hospitals to pave the way of expected health services.

MMCH Deputy Director Dr Md Tajul Islam said, "We have already got direction from the ministry concerned to start action against the brokers soon. We will investigate into the alleged nexus of hospital staff with the brokers and if it is found, punitive measures will be taken."

MMCH Director Brig Gen Fasiur Rahman could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.