Doctors and treatment costs
Monday, 18 January 2010
Md. Ashraf Hossain
IN Bangladesh patients often complain that they do not get proper medical treatment. They say that doctors charge high fees and prescribe unnecessary medical tests. A top bureaucrat gets Tk 45,000.00 a month. In addition to his pay from a government hospital, a specialist doctor earns Tk 10,000 or more an evening from 20 patients. Some doctors see more than 20 patients every evening.
The greedy should not come to the medical profession. A common complaint is that at the very first appointment a doctor advises too many tests. It is not uncommon for a doctor to smile at a patient and say, 'Thank God, your tests results are negative.' The doctor had advised at least 10 tests.
Why doctors, in general, advise the tests not required? The answer is obvious. The advising doctor gets a commission from the diagnostic centres. Of course, there are doctors who behave professionally.
But more doctors do not give a patient the needed time to listen to him or examine him. The wrong diagnosis is the obvious outcome.
Bangladesh Medical Council has the responsibility to look into the situation for the needed correction.
The government should penalise the diagnostic centres for charging more than the set rates. The practice of payment of commission by the diagnostic centres to the doctors must be brought to an end.
The health ministry should fix the charges of tests and the fees of doctors. There should be penalties for violations.
But, above all, the main concern for the doctors should be proper treatment of the patients. Who will ensure that?
IN Bangladesh patients often complain that they do not get proper medical treatment. They say that doctors charge high fees and prescribe unnecessary medical tests. A top bureaucrat gets Tk 45,000.00 a month. In addition to his pay from a government hospital, a specialist doctor earns Tk 10,000 or more an evening from 20 patients. Some doctors see more than 20 patients every evening.
The greedy should not come to the medical profession. A common complaint is that at the very first appointment a doctor advises too many tests. It is not uncommon for a doctor to smile at a patient and say, 'Thank God, your tests results are negative.' The doctor had advised at least 10 tests.
Why doctors, in general, advise the tests not required? The answer is obvious. The advising doctor gets a commission from the diagnostic centres. Of course, there are doctors who behave professionally.
But more doctors do not give a patient the needed time to listen to him or examine him. The wrong diagnosis is the obvious outcome.
Bangladesh Medical Council has the responsibility to look into the situation for the needed correction.
The government should penalise the diagnostic centres for charging more than the set rates. The practice of payment of commission by the diagnostic centres to the doctors must be brought to an end.
The health ministry should fix the charges of tests and the fees of doctors. There should be penalties for violations.
But, above all, the main concern for the doctors should be proper treatment of the patients. Who will ensure that?