Staff Correspondent

Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen has sought cooperation of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to shut down illegally-run healthcare facilities at district level.

"I am urging DCs to extend their sincere cooperation for the ongoing drive against unauthorized healthcare facilities aiming to upgrade healthcare system," he told the four-day conference of deputy commissioners at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday (March 3), an official release said. Samanta said the government is continuing drives against unauthorized healthcare facilities as a section of dishonest people are running healthcare establishments only for gaining financial purpose.

"We are showing zero tolerance against such name-based healthcare establishments to save lives of people," he said, adding the government directed all relevant organizations to be alert against illegally run hospitals, clinics and diagnostics centres."

At the conference, State Minister for Health Dr Rokeya Sultana laid emphasis on collective efforts to remove different malpractices and problems that are affecting total health sector for providing smooth medical services to the people.

Secretary of Health Service Division Md Jahangir Alam, Secretary of Health Education and Family Planning Division Azizur Rahman, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and Director General of Directorate of Health Prof Dr Tito Mian, among others, were present at the conference with Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain in the chair.

"Both public and private hospitals, clinics and diagnostics centres must be equipped with required medical facilities to ensure quality treatment for patients," Samanta said.

The authorities of private healthcare facilities must follow rules set by the government for ensuring quality medical services, he added.

The government does not want to shut down private healthcare facilities for the sake of the greatest interest of the people, he said, adding, "But all private hospitals, clinics and diagnostics centres must recruit adequate number of skilled healthcare professionals, equipping it with all necessary testing facilities."

"We have shut down 1,227 unregistered clinics and diagnostics centres in the past one month. We are continuing our drive against unauthorized healthcare facilities," Samanta added.