The patients and their relatives are suffering due to the wrong treatment of the diagnostic centers and pathology centers that have developed like a frog’s umbrella in Dumki of Patuakhali. The patient’s family is suffering financial and human harassment. Several patients have written complaints to higher authorities demanding redressal of financial harassment due to such wrong report treatment by multiple diagnostic centers but no effective action has been taken so far. Also, due to the unethical bribery of the officials responsible for the control of the illegal diagnostic centers, the patients and their relatives are being cheated and harassed day by day by visiting these illegal diagnostic centers. At least 10 patients and their families have suffered financial harassment due to the treatment of several wrong reports of several centers including New Life Digital Medical Services, Doctors Point, Popular Diagnostic Center of the upazila. Recently, Mehrab Islam Safin, the 6-year-old grandson of former UP member Mrs. Samsunnar Begum, wife of Muradia resident Abdur Rahim Ghazi, was taken to New Life Digital Medical Services for a blood test, and typhoid was detected in his report. Based on that report, the doctor of Lutheran Hospital Khan Md. Moshiur Rahman became sicker instead of getting well. He was transferred to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical Hospital 1 day after he was taken to Patuakhali Medical College in a coma. If the child’s health deteriorated further, after being taken to Dhaka Bangabandhu Medical College Hospital, he was cured with continuous treatment for 15 days. In addition to financial loss, the family has to suffer a lot of harassment. Financial loss and harassment due to wrong report and treatment from Dhaka since last one year still not recovered. On 28/07/2022, he filed a written complaint in Patuakhali Civil Surgeon’s office seeking remedy, but the authorities are not budging.
Shiuli Akter, daughter of Faku Howladar, a resident of Muradia village of the upazila, complained that last year, when she was admitted to Lutheran Hospital due to fatigue, she gave several tests. He was tested for typhoid at the city’s Medicare Doctors’ Chamber. According to the test report signed by a technologist named Abbas Sikder, after taking the typhoid injection given by the doctor, instead of getting well, he got sicker. He was forced to be admitted under Dr. Moshiur Rahman, a specialist in Patuakhali Central Hospital. A re-test did not show typhoid bacteria. Due to the wrong treatment of the test report by Medicare, he became sicker than cured and suffered harassment with huge financial losses due to such wrong treatment. Syed Atiqul Islam, son of Syed Anwar Hossain of Jalisha village, made the same complaint. He complained that two years ago on 10/10/2021, he suffered a financial loss of at least Rs. He said that ordinary patients along with their families are suffering because the unskilled technicians of those pathologies sign the test report without expert doctors.
It is known that the location of the private hospital named New Life Digital Medical Services is fifty to 100 yards away from the 50-bed government upazila hospital. Upazila Hospital RMO Dr. Enamul Hossain is the owner of the institution. which was inaugurated by the civil surgeon Dr. Kabir Hasan. Tests are being conducted at five times the price set by the government in these diagnostic centers without government approval. It is run by unskilled pathologists, technicians and x-ray technicians. Due to the closeness and percentage business of Civil Surgeon and THA, they are continuing their cut throat business and cheating the public without any regard for rules and regulations. Regarding the complaint, the director of New Life Digital Medical Services said, “We are taking the test money by adjusting the price list of the diagnostic center in the neighboring upazila and district city. In response to the question of wrong report, he said, no one is above mistakes, but efforts are always being made to give pathological tests and reports cautiously.
Syed Mojibur Rahman Titu, director of Foresight Medical and Pathology Center of the upazila, said that most of the diagnostic centers in Dumki are not approved. After applying for the license, everyone is running the business of pathology with the manpower as per the conditions. However, he claimed that the required documents of his organization are correct. Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Mir Shahidul Hasan Shaheen said, I don’t remember all these old cases, but we will take action if there is evidence that someone has adopted illegal methods while working. Patuakhali Civil Surgeon Dr. Kabir Hasan asked how he managed a private hospital ignoring government policies as an RMO.
