DGHS raids on illegal clinics expose the rot in health sector

We lack words to describe the devilry that has been afoot in some private hospitals and clinics operating outside the law in Bangladesh. According to a report by this daily, the ongoing crackdown on unlicensed health facilities has brought out some disturbing truths about how these are run, with no regard for the sanctity of the profession and zero accountability. In one of them in Narayanganj, called Padma General Hospital, doctors, nurses and other staffers abandoned a mother and her just-born baby on the operating table after hearing that health officials were raiding unlicensed hospitals in the area. Three other mothers and their newborns were also left behind. All of the patients had undergone C-section surgeries.

How can a hospital endanger its patients like this? The illegality of its operation alone cannot explain this behaviour. There must be something deeply rotten in how our healthcare system has been built that makes the lives of patients secondary to self-serving interests. The DGHS drive—which, as of May 29, reportedly closed over 880 unauthorised private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks across the country—also brought out how these establishments exploited lack of regulation and loopholes in the system. In one instance, a clinic even managed to secure contracts from two embassies to conduct medical assessments of people travelling to those countries. But its name was found neither in the list of licensed hospitals, nor in the list of those with pending applications for licences.

The issue of licensing for health facilities has frequently come up during the pandemic period. The DGHS itself courted controversies by allowing unlicensed facilities to run and even secure government contracts for Covid tests and treatment. The whimsical manner in which it adopted policies and conducted drives like the current one—with barely any follow-up action to check resurgence of such facilities, or ensure their lawful operation—makes any regulatory intervention untenable. It doesn't prevent corruption; if anything, it only temporarily suspends it. We've seen the futility of such efforts as even licenced hospitals felt emboldened to charge exorbitantly high fees from patients, and make them suffer even after that.

That said, we're glad that the authorities have finally conducted a largescale drive against unlicensed facilities. It will help them get a clearer picture of such operations, the exact number of which has long eluded us. But we urge the authorities to ensure proper follow-up actions, including by closing or revoking licences of any facilities or health practitioners found in breach of the law. Unregistered doctors too must be identified and punished. At the same time, registered hospitals and clinics should also be kept under observation so that they follow the standard operating procedures at all times.