Medicare costly for doctors' syndicate

A “syndicate” of some pro-Awami League Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (Swachip) doctors and medical representatives at an eye hospital in the capital is allegedly making patients pay extra for contact lenses.

Many employees at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Agargaon are also reportedly taking money from patients for providing hospital beds to them.

They are running the illegal business right under the nose of the hospital authorities and with the blessing of some “influential” doctors, say patients, their relatives and insiders there. 

It is now an “open secret” that some Swachip doctors receive a handsome commission on the sales of their prescribed contact lenses which are supplied to stores by medical representatives, said a representative, wishing not to be named.

Other doctors at the hospital also engage themselves in the practice, he said, adding that at least 40 to 50 such contact lenses are sold at nearby stores every day.

The prices of Indian lenses vary from Tk 200 to Tk 5,000 each while each American lens cost between Tk 6,500 and Tk 16,100.

The lenses would have been much cheaper had the doctors not gone for their share in the profit, another medical representative told The Daily Star.

“Representatives from lens-making companies influence the doctors to refer patients to buy specific brands of contact lenses.

“The doctors get a certain percentage of money for each of the lenses sold. On the other hand, the companies hike prices of contact lenses to ensure their original profit, taking money out of patients' pockets.”

Patients' sufferings at the hospital don't end here.

For a bed at the hospital, which is thronged by hundreds of people every day, a patient has to pay some employees from Tk 500 to Tk 5,000.

A hospital staff, seeking anonymity, said some “influential” doctors get a big share of the money.

During a recent visit to the hospital, this correspondent talked to Mohidul Islam, 30, a man who had one of his eyes critically injured in an accident in his village home in Faridpur.

 “I have been going through a severe pain since morning and want to take rest. But without arranging any bed [for me], they are sending me from one room to another.

“I know they are doing this for money,” he said around evening that day.

Another patient, who also hailed from Faridpur and was also looking for a bed, said, “One of the staff told me that it was not possible for me to get a bed as all of them were occupied. But I have seen many new patients getting beds.”

Many other patients echoed the two men.

They also alleged that they were not given proper attention by some doctors and employees at the hospital.

Prof Anisur Rahman Anjum, a former president of the Swachip unit at the hospital, admitted that some doctors belonging to the pro-AL organisation were referring special brands of contact lenses to patients for their commission.

He has recently been transferred to Dhaka Medical College from the hospital at Agargaon.

“Some doctors always get united whenever any move against them is taken. So, it's quite difficult to stop the practice,” he said.

Prof Anisur also said the central body of Swachip had been informed about the allegations but it was yet to take any action over the matter.

However, Enamor Rahman Choudhury, acting president of the Swachip unit at the hospital, said there were some illegal practices in the past but the situation has improved recently.

Talking to this correspondent on June 8, he also claimed that prices of lenses have come down following some steps by the hospital authorities. He did not elaborate on those steps.

He also said action would be taken against Swachip doctors, if found guilty of having involvement in any syndicate that takes money out of patients' pockets.

Prof Dr Golam Mostafa, director at the eye hospital, denied the allegations that patients had to give money for hospital beds and had not been given proper attention by doctors and hospital employees.

He said some patients might have expressed their dissatisfaction after failing to get their desired treatment. 

“Every day, we have to serve around 1,000 patients at the outdoor alone. So, it is not possible for us to make everyone happy.”

He, however, said they would form a probe committee to look into the allegations.