A private hospital in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur came under attack and was vandalised after attendants of a patient allegedly became dissatisfied with the discount offered on a medical bill.
Authorities of City Hospital and Diagnostic Centre alleged that the attack was carried out by a group of youths identifying themselves as students of the Graphic Arts Institute.
The hospital authorities have filed a written complaint with Mohammadpur Police Station over the incident.
Law enforcers from Mohammadpur Police Station and members of the Special Response Battalion (SRB) visited the site on Wednesday morning after being informed of the matter.
Mustafizur Rahman Khan, head of the hospital’s marketing department, said the attack took place at around 12am on Tuesday night.
According to him, a patient named Asma Begum came to the hospital for treatment of a lip-related condition. After treatment, the bill amounted to Tk5,000, and the patient’s relatives requested a discount.
The hospital reduced the bill by Tk2,000 and fixed the payable amount at Tk3,000. When the relatives sought a further reduction, the hospital lowered the bill by an additional Tk300, bringing it down to Tk2,700.
Mustafizur said the patient’s relatives also refused to pay that amount. When they were informed that no further reduction was possible, the patient settled the bill and left.
Shortly afterwards, a group of youths arrived at the hospital claiming to be students of the Graphic Arts Institute and began creating a disturbance over why a larger discount had not been granted.
At one stage, they allegedly carried out extensive vandalism, damaging glass fixtures and the waiting and reception areas on the ground floor of the hospital.
Mohammadpur police said they are reviewing CCTV footage and the complaint submitted by the hospital authorities and are in the process of taking legal action against those involved.
