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Mushroom growth of private clinics in Rajshahi

Standard of treatment declining

From Abdul Wadood
RAJSHAHI. July 12: Standard of treatment In the private hospitals and clinics is deteriorating day by day in Rajshahi.
There are even allegations against some clinics of cheating.
There is a big government hospital Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in the city. It was established In 1958 as a 500-bed academic hospital of simultaneously established Rajshahi Medical College.
Nowadays rush of patients to hospital has mounted so high that it always remains overcrowded. Patients are always seen to crowd in the beds, extra beds, floors and verandahs. There are not sufficient number of doctors, nurses, boys and ayes. Medical facilities are too short to meet the demands. So the patients are to suffer much. Especially the patients of general surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics and neurosurgery' arc to suffer most. They are to wait for weeks after weeks on the beds and floors to have their turns.
In this perspective, private clinics are established and get popularity. These clinics also become overcrowded, commercially viable within a very short period This has lead to establishment of more new clinics. As a result a mushroom grow of clinics took place.
The private clinics are increasing in number every' year. The office of the civil surgeon could not say the actual number of private clinics and hospitals working In the city' and the upazilas. "The number will be
near one hundred," said an official.
These private hospitals and clinics are mainly surgery-based. But almost all of those have no well equipped operation theatre.
Mukti Clinic Private Limited, Islam! Bank Hospital. Padma Clinic mid Zamzam Island Hospital are the few exceptions which have more or less well-equipped and well managed operation theatres. None of them, however, have any monitory system in the operation theatres.
Most of the clinics have no cardiac monitor or pulse oxymeter.
Situation of cleanliness and sanitation is not satisfactory in most of the clinics
Actually the clinics have been opened in the rented residential houses. These houses have no architectural arrangement required for clinics. Patients are kept every here and there in corridors and verandahs, raising temporary curtains of cloth and hardboards. The rooms arc not cleared properly. Bed smells evolve from the rooms. When number of patients Increases, patients are kept side by side with no gap in between them.
Only one or two Junior doctors run a clinic. They cannot attend the patients always when needed. Nurses are not trained well. The clinic owners do not usually appoint nurses passed from the Nursing Institutes rather take untrained distressed young females at a very less amount of salary. They cannot give expected service to the patients.
Operations arc also done by Junior doctors In most
clinics. As a result number of complications are abnormally higher in the private clinics. Senior and specialist doctors come only when called for. Patients are to pay extra price for these visits.
Doctors, nurses and other employees of these clinics are given abnormally less amount of salary. That is why they cannot become serious and sincere In their duties. A Junior (simple MBBS) doctor Is given only Taka 3.000 to Taka 5,000 per month. But he or she is to work for at least 10-12 hours a day.
On the other hand, an experienced nurse having no degree gets only Taka 1,000 to Taka 2,000 per month.
The clinics charge Taka 6,000 to Taka 12,000 from the patient for a major operation. Taka 3,000 to Taka 6,000 for a medium type of operation and Taka 1.500 to Take 3.000 for minor operation. Seat rents range from Taka 80 to Takii 150 in ordinary wards and Taka 200 to Taka 300 for cabins per day.
Most clinics have their own diagnostic units. It is alleged that patients are often advised to do unnecessary investigations. These diagnostic units lack trained and experienced laboratory technicians.
There are more serious allegation against some clinics. They catch patients by their agents and make compel them to get operated though it is not necessary.
There are records that a patient with abdominal pain for causes other than appendicitis had to face appendix operation. There are even such allegations that only the skin has been incised and sutured in
the name of operation.
Patients coming from rural areas and outside Rajshahi usually become victims of cheating.
Rajshahi District Civil Surgeon office sources acknowledged the prevailing bad situation of the private clinics. ’There Is no clear cut specific rules and regulations to supervise the private hospitals and clinics," said an official in the office of the Civil Surgeon. So the malpractices and Irregularities cannot be checked, he said.
Some clinic-owners said that there was a system of registration for the private clinics previously, but the system is not followed now. The registration fee Is Taka 5,000. The registration should be renewed every year paying Taka 5,000.
"We applied for registration 2/3 years ago, but the concerned authorities have not sent yet any team to visit our clinic," said an owner of a clinic on condition of anonymity. So their registration remain hanged, he said.
For this reason the government is being deprived of a handsome amount of revenue Income every year.
General secretary of Rajshahi Diagnostic Complex and Clinic Owners Association Dr Abdul Mannan said that negligence of the concerned authorities, political influence and monetary corruption lead to mushroom growth of clinics of low standard.
The government should promulgate specific rules and regulations regarding establishment and running of clinics to check the malpractices and irregularities." he said.