The health ministry has a vital role to play in streamlining the hospitals of the country. It should not confine its responsibility to the public hospitals alone, it should watch over the private hospitals as well

Regulating private hospitals

The death of three children within a span of two and a half hours at a private hospital in the capital city on the night of October 2 allegedly due to lack of proper treatment is a highly worrying piece of information. Reports  on this appeared in various newspapers yesterday.   According to the reports, the deaths occurred at Asian Cardiac and General Hospital at Lalmatia in the city. According to a source in the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) the hospital was running illegally. Local people said that the hospital was being run by part-time physicians. No doctors were seen at the hospital in the morning and only a nurse was present at the ICU where a child was receiving treatment.  
Whether negligence of doctors of the hospital led to the deaths of the children will be revealed after proper enquiry. But this kind of deaths is nothing new at some private hospitals that have sprung up in the capital over time. Due to heavy rush of patients, doctors at government hospitals cannot pay proper attention to patients. People who can afford  go to private hospitals in the expectation  of  proper medical care. But how many of them get the desired health care services despite spending huge amounts of money ? In fact, owners of many  private hospitals fleece patients in the name of treatment.  Many hospitals do not have full-time doctors, nurses, general staff, proper operation theatre, well equipped pathological laboratory and medical equipment.
It is heartening to note that there are a few private hospitals in the capital that are rendering quality health  care services but only the affluent ones can receive treatment from these bodies. The other private hospitals should also come up in maintaining  the minimum standard. The Health Ministry has a vital role to play for streamlining the hospitals of the country. It should not confine its responsibility to the public hospitals alone, it should  watch over the private hospitals as well.  As the custodian of the country’s health sector it can monitor and supervise the activities of the private hospitals. The private hospitals that have failed to meet the minimum requirements for providing  medical care should be identified and warned to improve standards within a stipulated period of time or face penalties.

 

The health ministry has a vital role to play in streamlining the hospitals of the country. It should not confine its responsibility to the public hospitals alone, it should watch over the private hospitals as well

Regulating private hospitals

The death of three children within a span of two and a half hours at a private hospital in the capital city on the night of October 2 allegedly due to lack of proper treatment is a highly worrying piece of information. Reports on this appeared in various newspapers yesterday. According to the reports, the deaths occurred at Asian Cardiac and General Hospital at Lalmatia in the city. According to a source in the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) the hospital was running illegally. Local people said that the hospital was being run by part-time physicians. No doctors were seen at the hospital in the morning and only a nurse was present at the ICU where a child was receiving treatment. Whether negligence of doctors of the hospital led to the deaths of the children will be revealed after proper enquiry. But this kind of deaths is nothing new at some private hospitals that have sprung up in the capital over time. Due to heavy rush of patients, doctors at government hospitals cannot pay proper attention to patients. People who can afford go to private hospitals in the expectation of proper medical care. But how many of them get the desired health care services despite spending huge amounts of money ? In fact, owners of many private hospitals fleece patients in the name of treatment. Many hospitals do not have full-time doctors, nurses, general staff, proper operation theatre, well equipped pathological laboratory and medical equipment. It is heartening to note that there are a few private hospitals in the capital that are rendering quality health care services but only the affluent ones can receive treatment from these bodies. The other private hospitals should also come up in maintaining the minimum standard. The Health Ministry has a vital role to play for streamlining the hospitals of the country. It should not confine its responsibility to the public hospitals alone, it should watch over the private hospitals as well. As the custodian of the countrys health sector it can monitor and supervise the activities of the private hospitals. The private hospitals that have failed to meet the minimum requirements for providing medical care should be identified and warned to improve standards within a stipulated period of time or face penalties.