Medical centres without licences

THERE are services which are extremely important for the simple reason that these involve human lives. The same are the medical services and for the obvious reasons no compromise can be allowed in running them properly or in desirable standards. Therefore, it is shocking to learn from recent reports in the media that there are a good number of medical centres -- private clinics, pathological labs etc. -- in Bangladesh which are functioning without any authorisation from the official health authorities. Such approval for any private clinic, diagnostic centre or pathological lab, is a basic legal requirement for treating patients.
A good number of such medical establishments in the private sector are functioning not only without licence but also being hopelessly deficient in terms of the number of qualified doctors, support staff and equipment.
Authorisation of such centres does otherwise provide the assurance that these would maintain a minimum of standard of services. The unauthorised ones are not binded by any regulation or supervision and prove to be like death houses than curing places. One can easily appreciate here the fact that the consequences of treatment based on the pathological findings of bogus diagnostic centres can be fatal.
The government should do something proactive to streamline things in the country's health sector.
Nizamuddin Ahmed
DOHS, Dhaka