Cashing in on patients' woes

He advised her to have ultra sonogram test to confirm whether she had stone in the kidney.

The test report given by a diagnostic centre in Rangpur town said unmarried Rozina was pregnant and carrying a five-month baby.

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Disgusted and ashamed, she went to her doctor again.

He suggested her to have the test done again in another diagnostic centre. This time the report said there were several stones in her kidney.

Dr. Omor Ali removed the stones by an operation at a clinic and she was cured.

Instances of such wrong diagnostic tests are many.

Ahmed Ali of Palichara village under the Sader upzila was shouting in front of a X-ray centre in Dhap area recently.

His doctor had asked him for X-ray of his left hand. But the technician did it on his right hand, may be due to carelessness or illiteracy.

Such deceitful acts and irregularities by diagnostic centres and pathological laboratories is a talk of the town now.

On investigation, it was found that there are about 60 diagnostic centres and 60 pathological laboratories in the town.

But the number of M.B.B.S radiologists, sinologists and microbiologists in the district headquarters is one tenth of the number of pathological laboratories and diagnostic centers.

Conscious people now ponder how so many laboratories run with so few specialists.

They allege that government rules are being totally ignored by these centres and laboratories, which are virtually deceiving patients, often leading to serious complications and even to death. This illegal business is going on while there is a monitoring cell of the government's health department to check those.

An investigation by The Daily Star revealed that about 70 per cent of the diagnostic and pathological laboratories do not have registration from the Department of Health.

Many of them do not have the required equipment and unqualified men.

There are eight microbiologists in Rangpur town, three of them at RMCH. The rest five are retired government officials now working with private laboratories.

There are only two M.B.B.S radiologists at RMCH while the number of X-ray centres in the town are around 30, mostly allegedly run by technicians having no academic certificate.

It was gathered that in many of the centres, technicians having no academic certificate are doing pathological tests and preparing report.

Before delivery, they collect signatures of microbiologists on the reports in exchange of 45 percent of the fees per test.

When asked, Porimol Chandra Sarker, Associate Professor of RMC and a specialist on microbiology, said he does not have any idea about the irregularities.

Drastic action should be taken against pathological laboratories if they are found doing such irregularities, he said.

A technician at an X-ray centre seeking anonymity said an orthopedist takes 70 percent of the amount it earns for putting a signature on a report.

As per law, opening of a diagnostic centre requires approval from the Director General (DG) of the Department of Health. A diagnostic centre has to fulfill all conditions, which include procurement of appropriate equipment and recruitment of specialists.

But a few of the centres fulfill these conditions.

Owners of some of the centres when contacted said they applied to the DG Health. But it is a long process to get approval. So they obtained a trade licence from the municipality and started the business.

Dr Ekramul Hoque Swapan, convenor of Rangpur Clinics and Diagnostic Center Owners Association denied that a large number of centres are operating illegally.

"A few may be doing the business with trade license from the municipality," he said.

Asked if it was legal, he said, "It is a long process to get registration from the health department and so entrepreneurs open business after submitting prayers to the DG through the district civil surgeon".

When contacted, the Civil Surgeon said he would not pass any comment before investigation. He said he will order an investigation into the matter.