Referral hospitals will have to offer 5.0pc beds to poor

Private hospitals enjoying the duty-free benefits on import of medical equipment under 'referral hospital facility' will have to offer at least 5.0 per cent seat, bed or other facilities free-of-cost to the poor patients.
The customs wing of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) incorporated the new condition in the Finance Bill-2015 to help the low income group of people.  
The customs wing for the first time slapped the condition on the private referral hospitals, mostly posh and luxury ones, for the sake of low-income people against the incentives provided by the government since 2005.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been providing the tax-free facility to 24 referral hospitals in the country.
The hospitals, listed as referral ones, are entitled to the duty-free facility on import of medical equipment under certain conditions.
Customs officials said the conditions on referral hospital had inadequate provisions to scrutinise compliance and ensure free treatment to poor and low-income group of patients.
According to the customs law, a referral hospital has to install the imported machinery within three months of import.
A committee, comprising customs and drug administration officials, would give a report within six months to the effect that the duty-free machinery is being used properly.
The customs authority can scrap the duty-free facility and collect all due taxes, if the committee finds any irregularities.
The hospitals import the machinery by furnishing an indemnity bond. The bond is released later on along with certificates by the inspection committee after the installation of machinery.
Officials said the patients coming from poor and low income families, who faced hardship in affording expensive treatment, will be able to take the services from these hospitals from now on.
To earn the 'referral' status a hospital does need to have advanced research facility. A mono-disciplinary hospital with at least 100 beds or multi disciplinary one with 150 beds can be termed as referral hospital having the registration from the Ministry of Health.
Under the conditions, at least two experienced doctors should supervise each department of those hospitals. The hospitals should have the capacity to give consultancy services to other hospitals.
The referral hospital facility was aimed at checking the flight of foreign currency for treatment purposes abroad and creating advanced health facilities in the country, customs officials said.
Generally, a referral hospital is a hospital that a patient is referred to by other healthcare centres because it is better equipped and has specially trained physicians for better as well as special treatment.
The existing referral hospitals are: BIRDEM, National Heart Foundation, Apollo, Zainul Haque Sikder Women's Medical College and Hospital, Khawaja Yunous Ali Medical College, Ibrahim Iqbal Memorial Hospital, Jalalabad Rajib-Rabeya Medical, United Hospital, Square, Salauddin Specialised Hospital, Ad-din, Delta, Labaid, Green life, Enam Medical, Bangabandhu Memorial hospital, Sumona Hospital, Monsur Ali Medical College, Dr Sirajul Islam Hospital, Care Specialised Hospital, Samorita, Gazi Medical college, Ali Hospital.
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