Who will check health-sector graft?

The health sector cannot seem to stay out of negative headlines for long. From procurement of medical equipment to recruitment of doctors and staff in public hospitals to providing treatment to patients—corruption and irregularities have permeated every level of our health sector. The situation has come to a point that even the High Court had to direct the authorities concerned to do their job properly. The most recent example of irregularities, as reported by this daily, is the stealing of life-saving medicines by a nexus of staffers at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Reportedly, these employees have been directly involved in stealing medicines in connivance with outsiders and selling them mostly to pharmacies in remote upazilas and at the Hazari Goli, a wholesale hub of medicines in the port city. The CMCH authorities reportedly took legal action against some of the culprits over the past few years, and tightened security on hospital grounds. Moreover, at least 20 people, including 10 CMCH staffers, were caught red-handed with stolen medicines and sued in police cases. But as it seems, nothing could deter drug theft at the hospital. Which makes it evident that there are bigger players at play, who remain out of sight.

In recent years, we have come across some striking reports and studies revealing large-scale corruption in the health sector. For example, according to a 2023 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh, between 2014-15 and 2018-19 fiscal years, irregularities in budget spending by the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) caused the government to lose Tk 459 crore. There were also allegations against the CMSD of supplying medical equipment and machinery without any request by public hospitals and facilities. Moreover, crores of taka were wasted due to purchase anomalies in the early days of the pandemic.

The issue of drug theft at CMCH cannot be seen in isolation from this trend. Such irregularities will continue to happen unless we reform the entire health sector and ensure transparency and accountability at all levels.