Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has expressed anger after discovering representatives from private diagnostic centres collecting blood samples from patients inside Mugda Medical College Hospital, despite the government facility having its own testing arrangements.
During an unannounced visit to the 500-bed hospital on Friday, the minister inspected various wards, including the dengue unit, and spoke directly with patients, their relatives, and duty doctors.
The visit was prompted by a surge in complaints from patients and their families regarding alleged irregularities and sub-standard services at the hospital.
While inspecting the wards, the minister found that individuals affiliated with private clinics were approaching patients to arrange tests outside the hospital. Upon reviewing the medical records of 15 to 20 patients, he uncovered clear evidence that representatives from external diagnostic centres had collected samples directly from the wards, even though the hospital possessed full testing capabilities.
“The complaints that brought me here are 100 per cent accurate. I have found evidence that agents from private diagnostic centres came and collected blood samples from patients despite this government hospital having the capacity for dengue testing,” the minister said.
“The facilities are available right here. Outsiders are coming in and drawing blood. Are they blind? Doctors are present – how can they fail to notice this?” he added.
The minister reprimanded nurses and duty doctors over the breach, remarking that private clinic representatives were entering the hospital and soliciting blood samples “like street hawkers”.
“Outsiders are coming in and collecting blood like hawkers, leaving patients out of pocket for tests,” he said.
When hospital administrators claimed they had previously taken action through mobile courts, the minister dismissed the explanation.
“Whom have you penalised through the mobile court? Whom have you sent to jail? I will not accept these excuses. I am a man of principle. Your equipment is functional, everything is in place, yet the service is unsatisfactory. This is down to management failure,” he said.
During the inspection, the minister also voiced concern over the absence of mosquito nets in the dengue ward.
“Why are there no mosquito nets in your dengue ward?” he challenged hospital officials.
Administrators claimed that patients frequently removed the nets themselves. The minister rejected the justification, instructing management to strictly enforce mosquito net usage for all dengue patients.
“Patients may resist using them, but you must ensure compliance. Otherwise, healthy individuals risk infection. Enforce this as mandatory starting today,” he instructed.
Patients and their relatives also raised grievances regarding out-of-service lifts and cumbersome procedures for submitting samples and retrieving test results, which forced them to navigate repeatedly between floors. One relative highlighted that transporting critically ill patients had become exceptionally difficult due to the broken lifts. Families further alleged that nurses and doctors were failing to provide adequate support despite repeated requests.
During the visit, the minister confirmed that several patients were paying inflated fees for tests routed through external agents. A patient’s relative noted that private clinic agents were charging between Tk1,000 and Tk1,800 per test.
The minister issued a stern warning that such practices at the hospital would no longer be tolerated.
“Either I remain, or these irregularities remain, there will be no middle ground,” he warned.
He announced that unannounced inspections targeting irregularities across the health sector would continue, with stringent administrative action taken against those found responsible.
