DMCH IN SHAMBLES

Mafia-like rackets rule the roost

Class IV staff, outsiders tighten grip on country’s biggest public hospital

A corrupt syndicate of Class IV employees and outsiders, known as ‘specials’, controls all the services at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), including renting of ambulances, medicine supplies, allocations of bed and food, blood transfusion services, and provisions of trolleys and wheelchairs for patients.

This syndicate dominates all contracts, resulting in shoddy services and causing treatment to be unavailable to many patients who visit the country’s biggest public hospital. Here, random thefts of babies have become a common occurrence.
In certain cases, outsiders and hospital sweepers provide treatment, and Class IV ward boys and other such employees perform operations.
Allegations have been levelled by more than one source connected with the DMCH that those who are supposed to monitor and prevent such irregularities and run the hospital administration smoothly have either thrown up their hands in despair or have colluded with the syndicate in lieu of ‘cash benefits’. Two former directors of the hospital, who refused to be named, explained that since its foundation as an institution to provide medical education and services in 1946, the hospital is considered the best medical service provider in this region. Prominent teachers, known to be the best in medical education, are associated with this hospital.

A syndicate of Class IV employees emerged immediately after the hospital was founded. But such mafia-style operations have become far more severe in the last 20 years.
Sources disclosed that the number of employees and officials, including physicians—barring those at the burn unit at the DMCH—totals 3,261. Of them, the number of Class IV employees is around 1,300. Though the hospital was built to serve 2,600 patients, around 4,000 stay there.
Following investigations at the hospital, this correspondent unearthed certain anomalies that are far more startling. Only one-fourth of the Class IV employees perform their duties here. The rest of them work according to their whims, discharging their duties through outsiders, whose number amounts to more than 1,000.
These outsiders do everything from sweeping the floors, taking care of the needs of patients, collecting wheelchairs or trolleys, bringing medicines from the store at the wards, collecting blood, arranging beds, providing food, helping physicians and nurses, giving injections to administering saline or even performing small surgeries—in particular, taking care of accident casualties, including cleansing their wounds, stitching and administering primary treatment, removing the stitches, washing the stomachs of patients who have taken poison.
Some of these outsiders told this correspondent, preferring anonymity, that for such tasks some of them have had to shell out Tk 1 to 2 lakh as ‘selamis’ to the leaders or ward masters. If anyone wishes to work at the emergency or operation theatre, he/she has to cough up more money. 
Despite media reports, the administration always protects them because of the cash they shell out. That is why they are known as ‘specials’ at the hospital.
Recently, there was a furore after one such outsider sweeper allegedly caused a patient’s death after he administered an injection to the patient. This stirred up a hornet’s nest in the media, leading to discussions in Parliament. An inquiry committee was formed to probe the incident.
DMCH deputy director Dr Khwaja Abdul Gafur told different media outlets that the ‘sweeper’ who administered the injection was not an employee of the hospital, but was actually an outsider. “Such outsiders have traditionally been working here. Stern action would be taken against him,” Dr Gafur said. Incidentally, Dr Gafur was appointed as the head of the inquiry committee.
The surprising twist to the whole sordid episode occurred when the director of the hospital, Brig. Gen. (retd) Mizanur Rahman, accompanied Dr Khwaja Abdul Gafur to a news briefing and asserted, “The sweeper was not an outsider. No fault of his was proved in the incident as he did not administer any injection. He only put an oxygen mask on the patient’s face.”
After the incident, the sweeper was caught red-handed with a stethoscope and a blood pressure-measuring device. He was handed over to police by people who beat him up. But the hospital director defended him. 
Mizanur Rahman further told media persons, “The sweeper was not an employee of the hospital, neither a full- or part-time employee. But he was not an outsider. He only assisted the doctors. He came from outside to help the doctors. Whatever medical equipment was found with him was only being carried by him for the doctors. The status of the sweeper should be considered between a legal and an illegal one.”
Referring to the director’s statement, some of the officials told this correspondent: “The director himself is standing up for the outsider sweeper. Then how can general employees speak up against this syndicate?”
Mentioning another such episode, sources said five people, including a child in the womb of its mother, were killed after they were run over by an ambulance driven by a helper but not a driver. It was not exactly an ambulance, but had been fashioned out of a micro-bus. After the incident, the ambulance drivers went on strike. They did not allow ambulances from outside to enter the hospital, leaving patients in the lurch.
It was learnt that the Class IV employees own 72 such micro-buses that have been converted into ambulances. There are two more such vehicles in the morgue for transporting bodies.
When asked about the allegations against the Class IV employees, DMCH Class IV Employees’ Union president Abdul Khalek told this correspondent that it was not appropriate to level such allegations against them on a blanket basis. “If anyone commits an offence, he would be punished,” he asserted. Dismissing the allegations that they were holding the hospital hostage, the union leader said, “It is we who are being victimised and have been subjected to many kinds of harassment.”
Talking about the issue overall, DMCH director Brig. Gen. (retd) Mizanur Rahman told this correspondent that such a crisis has occurred—one involving outsiders who are working at the hospital—due to manpower shortage. 
Disclosing that hospital authorities were trying to hire people on a temporary basis, Mizanur Rahman said those appointed on an outsourcing basis would be given ID cards and uniforms. “When the process is completed, there would no longer be any activity by outsiders,” he added.
Health minister Mohammad Nasim told this correspondent that he has received many complaints against many hospitals. The minister said he was trying to take necessary measures after carrying out investigations. “No irregularities would be tolerated under the claim of carrying out treatment,” he asserted.

 

DMCH IN SHAMBLES

Mafia-like rackets rule the roost

Class IV staff, outsiders tighten grip on countrys biggest public hospital

A corrupt syndicate of Class IV employees and outsiders, known as specials, controls all the services at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), including renting of ambulances, medicine supplies, allocations of bed and food, blood transfusion services, and provisions of trolleys and wheelchairs for patients. This syndicate dominates all contracts, resulting in shoddy services and causing treatment to be unavailable to many patients who visit the countrys biggest public hospital. Here, random thefts of babies have become a common occurrence. In certain cases, outsiders and hospital sweepers provide treatment, and Class IV ward boys and other such employees perform operations. Allegations have been levelled by more than one source connected with the DMCH that those who are supposed to monitor and prevent such irregularities and run the hospital administration smoothly have either thrown up their hands in despair or have colluded with thesyndicate in lieu of cash benefits. Two former directors of the hospital, who refused to be named, explained that since its foundation as an institution to provide medical education and services in 1946, the hospital is considered the best medical service provider in this region. Prominent teachers, known to be the best in medical education, are associated with this hospital. A syndicate of Class IV employees emerged immediately after the hospital was founded. But such mafia-style operations have become far more severe in the last 20 years. Sources disclosed that the number of employees and officials, including physiciansbarring those at the burn unit at the DMCHtotals 3,261. Of them, the number of Class IV employees is around 1,300. Though the hospital was built to serve 2,600 patients, around 4,000 stay there. Following investigations at the hospital, this correspondent unearthed certain anomalies that are far more startling. Only one-fourth of the Class IV employees perform their duties here. The rest of them work according to their whims, discharging their duties through outsiders, whose number amounts to more than 1,000. These outsiders do everything from sweeping the floors, taking care of the needs of patients, collecting wheelchairs or trolleys, bringing medicines from the store at the wards, collecting blood, arranging beds, providing food, helping physicians and nurses, giving injections to administering saline or even performing small surgeriesin particular, taking care of accident casualties, including cleansing their wounds, stitching and administering primary treatment, removing the stitches, washing the stomachs of patients who have taken poison. Some of these outsiders told this correspondent, preferring anonymity, that for such tasks some of them have had to shell out Tk 1 to 2 lakh as selamis to the leaders or ward masters. If anyone wishes to work at the emergency or operation theatre, he/she has to cough up more money. Despite media reports, the administration always protects them because of the cash they shell out. That is why they are known as specials at the hospital. Recently, there was a furore after one such outsider sweeper allegedly caused a patients death after he administered an injection to the patient. This stirred up a hornets nest in the media, leading to discussions in Parliament. An inquiry committee was formed to probe the incident. DMCH deputy director Dr Khwaja Abdul Gafur told different media outlets that the sweeper who administered the injection was not an employee of the hospital, but was actually an outsider. Such outsiders have traditionally been working here. Stern action would be taken against him, Dr Gafur said. Incidentally, Dr Gafur was appointed as the head of the inquiry committee. The surprising twist to the whole sordid episode occurred when the director of the hospital, Brig. Gen. (retd) Mizanur Rahman, accompanied Dr Khwaja Abdul Gafur to a news briefing and asserted, The sweeper was not an outsider. No fault of his was proved in the incident as he did not administer any injection. He only put an oxygen mask on the patients face. After the incident, the sweeper was caught red-handed with a stethoscope and a blood pressure-measuring device. He was handed over to police by people who beat him up. But the hospital director defended him. Mizanur Rahman further told media persons, The sweeper was not an employee of the hospital, neither a full- or part-time employee. But he was not an outsider. He only assisted the doctors. He came from outside to help the doctors. Whatever medical equipment was found with him was only being carried by him for the doctors. The status of the sweeper should be considered between a legal and an illegal one. Referring to the directors statement, some of the officials told this correspondent: The director himself is standing up for the outsider sweeper. Then how can general employees speak up against this syndicate? Mentioning another such episode, sources said five people, including a child in the womb of its mother, were killed after they were run over by an ambulance driven by a helper but not a driver. It was not exactly an ambulance, but had been fashioned out of a micro-bus. After the incident, the ambulance drivers went on strike. They did not allow ambulances from outside to enter the hospital, leaving patients in the lurch. It was learnt that the Class IV employees own 72 such micro-buses that have been converted into ambulances. There are two more such vehicles in the morgue for transporting bodies. When asked about the allegations against the Class IV employees, DMCH Class IV Employees Union president Abdul Khalek told this correspondent that it was not appropriate to level such allegations against them on a blanket basis. If anyone commits an offence, he would be punished, he asserted. Dismissing the allegations that they were holding the hospital hostage, the union leader said, It is we who are being victimised and have been subjected to many kinds of harassment. Talking about the issue overall, DMCH director Brig. Gen. (retd) Mizanur Rahman told this correspondent that such a crisis has occurredone involving outsiders who are working at the hospitaldue to manpower shortage. Disclosing that hospital authorities were trying to hire people on a temporary basis, Mizanur Rahman said those appointed on an outsourcing basis would be given ID cards and uniforms. When the process is completed, there would no longer be any activity by outsiders, he added. Health minister Mohammad Nasim told this correspondent that he has received many complaints against many hospitals. The minister said he was trying to take necessary measures after carrying out investigations. No irregularities would be tolerated under the claim of carrying out treatment, he asserted.